


Opening Salvo

by zipzin



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Undercover Cop, Angst, DEO is a gang, F/F, supercorp is minor, this will get political
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2018-12-01 21:00:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11494641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zipzin/pseuds/zipzin
Summary: Maggie Sawyer dreamed of going undercover since she became a cop, it's a natural career progression, but being tasked with taking down the notorious gang DEO singlehandedly is a bit more than she was expecting. Alex Danvers is only concerned about one thing, making sure her family and home is safe. Being a part of the DEO is a natural part of growing up in Midvale and she has no plans to change that.Undercover Cop/Gangster AU





	1. Chapter 1

_And my people building monuments to weather the flood_

_I’m a leave how I came screaming covered in blood_

_Died once born twice both times we knuckled up_

_Along side our people we gon struggle with love_

 

Maggie took a deep breath and gripped the handle on her duffle bag a little harder as she climbed the stairs in the dirty tenement. She couldn’t figure out if the smell was from garbage or piss. Both, she decided and wrinkled her nose. The landlord had taken the cash and just pressed the key in her hand and then told her to take the stairs two flights up and the door would be on her right. He seemed as friendly as a raccoon, and had barely spared her a glance after that. It was better that way, Maggie decided.

It wasn’t that she was expecting anything different, but she had thought that her first day undercover would be a little more interesting. Moving into a disgusting tenement did not count. Tracking ties from an alderman to the DEO, one of the largest gangs in the city, had been a non-stop thrill with being instructed by her captain to go berserk on the review board to get herself fired. Not that it had taken much. Being Latina and gay was already enough of a reason to get rid of her. Not to mention that she was female. She wasn’t going to lie and say that it hadn’t hurt, and when she had stumbled out of the meeting feeling defeated her captain had been waiting for her with an FBI agent. That had been a surprise to say the least. And now she was going undercover to try to bring down the DEO. Which honestly, felt a little bit insane and she had been half expecting to wake up from this and realize it had all been a crazy fever dream.

The problem, Agent Randall had explained, was that it was almost impossible to figure out who was in charge of the DEO and who were the major players. They were a very paranoid bunch. Luck had allowed the police to arrest Jeremiah Zor-El, the former leader, ten years ago, but he had never revealed anything of substance in any of the interrogations. Despite the FBI’s thorough investigation, the link that Maggie had drawn was the first substantial thing in a long time. And now she was to play disgruntled police officer ready to make the NCPD pay for firing her, while living next to a DEO dealer. Yeah, she wasn’t thrilled with her odds.

All in all, she had been in worse places, it just seemed like they were basically throwing her to the wolves. The most she had been given was a small file that explained the DEO was a gang that controlled the Midvale neighborhood of National City, and that her neighbor was a known dealer. There was no information on anyone higher up than that.

Maggie found the door and with only a little amount of jiggling, she managed to unlock it. She grimaced before she even realized it. The room was as dingy as they come. The walls were a mix of a green and brown that could only be caused by mold. There was a thick layer of dust on the linoleum floor, and a water stain underneath the tiny window. Maggie could hear every step of her upstairs neighbor and she bit her lip to keep from sighing. She wondered if she could get workers comp after this was over.

She had always wanted to do undercover work, so she couldn’t exactly complain, but as she looked at the only furniture, an alley mattress on the floor, and a refrigerator and sink, she couldn’t help but wish that her undercover hideout was a little more glamourous. She couldn’t fault herself for wishing that it involved some fancy clothes and expensive alcohol. Come on, she scolded herself, you are going to take down a gang, that’s glamourous enough. She tossed her bag down and hoped that whatever insect life festered was happy enough so it would not bug her. She could do without the bedbug bites. Or whatever diseases might crop up from staying in a place like this.

She fingered the burner phone that was in her pocket and finally sighed, they had said that she would probably be at least six months undercover. While she was still herself, no alias required, there would be no communication between her and anyone from her former life. It had struck as a little strange, but had decided that it was unwise to question a mysterious FBI officer to their face. It was depressing to realize that no one would miss her. Her coworkers, maybe, the cute girl at the coffeeshop, hopefully, but when it came to notifying people, Maggie hadn’t even given Randall a list. There just wasn’t anyone important enough.

She stood up and walked out the door, she should at least get something to eat, and to finalize the game plan to get into the DEO. Since no one had given her anything other than a nod for good luck.

 

_“Bright Spots in Progress_

_Maggie Sawyer, one of our members, became the youngest fully fledged detective for the National City Police Department! Congratulations Maggie!”_

        -   _Blurb from March 2015 National City Women LGBT Community Newsletter_

 

She finished her Big Belly burger and then headed back to the tenement with the plan to list all of the things that she would need to buy so that living there was at the very least, not intolerable. Walking by, she noticed her only link in the back alley of the building. She paused and ducked behind the dumpster.

Another man joined him, both talking too quietly for Maggie to hear, when all the sudden there was a knife pulled and Maggie felt herself moving before she had time to think. She caught the attacker’s hand before he stabbed her one and only contact and twisted it behind his arm in a smooth motion. The knife clattered to the pavement and she kneed him in the groin. The man howled, while the dealer picked the knife off the floor and held it out at her.

“Who are you and what are you doing?”

Maggie released the man and he fell violently, then raised her hands cautiously. “I saw what was happening, and well,”

“Well?” The man waved the knife, but his hand shook slightly.

“I don’t know.” Maggie placated and tried to ignore her rapidly raising heart rate. “I’m not a great bystander.” She couldn’t explain that she was a fucking cop and reacting to someone in immediate danger was second nature. That’d go over well.

The man studied her for a moment and then lowered the knife and aimed a kick to the man on the ground. “I’ve never seen you before.” He said as he walked away and Maggie followed.

“I just moved here.”

“And those moves. Wouldn’t take you for a fighter.” He eyed her frame and Maggie ignored the feeling of anger and disgust that started to bubble.

Maggie gave him her best smile, but it felt very, very fake. “The only good thing the fucking cops gave me.”

“The cops?” The man was on high alert again and Maggie saw his hand clench around the knife again.

“I just got fired from the NCPD.” Maggie explained. “They didn’t like,” she paused, “My style.” A part of her brain groaned. This was going terribly.

He gave her nod, “Pigs suck.” and spat on the floor. “Where you live?”

Maggie nodded to the building. “Second Floor.”

“I’ll walk you up?” The man asked.

“Sure.” Maggie shrugged and tried to act casual. Not like she had probably saved this man’s life, or at least from a severe injury and he needed her protection more than she needed his. Or that getting him to trust her would be the biggest part of her career.

On the first landing, he finally spoke again. “You’ve got a job?”

Maggie gave a bark of laughter. “Who’d hire a disgraced pig?”

“I might know someone.” He said cryptically. “You interested.”

“Yes.” Maggie said shortly as they arrived at her door. “This is me.”

“Well, hopefully I’ll see you again.” The man said.

Maggie let him walk off and then called out, “What’s your name?”

He paused mid step, then, “Carter. You?”

“Maggie.”

She watched as he disappeared and then unlocked the door and tried to ignore the depressing sight before her. All the planning that she had done in the uncomfortable plastic chair was useless, but she was happy. She had gotten her in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title and quote are from the same song by Blue Scholars. Maggie becoming an undercover agent is based on the Brooklyn 99 episode "Charges and Specs".
> 
> This is my first multi-chap fic in a long time, so I'd love some feedback on it. Also, when I was first considering the idea of undercover cop/gangster I had no plans to make it political, but apparently the current political climate couldn't help but sneak into my writing. So, the various characters throughout this story are going to represent political views that may or may not reflect mine (just not looking for political debates in the comments, if you so desire, talk to me on tumblr @zipzin), and if you aren't interested in thinking more about politics then this is not the story for you. So just a warning. (Also it should be noted that these viewpoints are less on, say whether to help refugees, but more on how to do that and what's the right way). Also, the various news clippings and blurbs do not use any actual data or anything, and are only relevant to this story's universe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has an assignment, and a new colleague.

Alex stared at the table and barely resisted stabbing her knife into it as she waited for J’onn. He had insisted that they meet, which translated to a demand. Yes, she respected him, and wouldn’t undermine him, but in this case, she couldn’t ignore his authority. No matter how much she wanted to. She was supposed to be planning a heist, not sitting around and no doubt being lectured on something that she did. He knew how important this heist was, whatever had happened could wait until tomorrow. It would help if she remembered what it was. She was almost positive that she hadn’t left her apartment last night.

J’onn finally entered and slid into the seat across from her. The bar was just busy enough that they could discuss business and no one would be able to overhear them. And, they got free drinks. The perks of providing them with protection. Even if the only thing any of the bartenders knew was that they each had a DEO necklace.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the chatter.” J’onn said and Alex didn’t have time to maintain the surprise on her face. So, this was not about her.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

“Carter recruited a former cop and she has been extraordinarily useful.” J’onn started and Alex nodded. The news had spread quickly, especially since the woman had been able to provide locations that cops normally skipped over or didn’t look that carefully at, and had made friends with many of their dealers.

“And?” Alex asked.

“She’s a former cop.” J’onn said patiently.

It was moments like these where J’onn taking over her father’s place in the DEO felt like it had a lot more in it than just business. “You don’t trust her.” Alex finally stated.

“I haven’t made up my mind.” J’onn said and took a small drink. “We’ve not heard anything about Maggie Sawyer until she popped out of nowhere.”

“Her being fired is legit.” Alex pointed out. She had checked personally once she had heard of the mysterious former cop. Newson had insured her that he had personally witnessed Sawyer go berserk at the review board. The reasons, Newson had been less clear, but had insisted that a display like that had to have been building up for a number of years.

“And if it is all a cover?”

Alex’s arm stilled and she looked at him calculatingly. “You want me to test her.”

“Yes.” J’onn said.

“And if she doesn’t prove her loyalty?”

J’onn quirked an eyebrow and leveled a stare at her. Alex nodded. “On the heist.” It was a risky move.

“Whether she’s still a cop or not, she should be very useful in helping you with that. I think if anything, she’s not here to stop random stealing, but to take down the whole organization.”

Alex rolled her eyes. Obviously. “So do not let anyone reveal my true identity.”

“And only take people you can entrust this information with.”

That, Alex thought, would be a problem. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust anyone, it’s just she had planned to take Kara, and until she was sure of this cop’s allegiance, she was not going to let her anywhere near her sister. Alex hummed. “Got it. What would she know about us so far?”

“No doubt she is aware of your father, but I doubt she knows about you other than that he has two daughters. She’s only interacted with dealers, so they’ve certainly spread rumors, but they do not know anything important enough to spread.”

“So we are good.” Alex remarked.

“Let me know.” He got up, left the empty bottle, and Alex watched him go. She supposed that she could just use Vasquez. It’d work, in the end.

 

_“Jeremiah Zor-El Away for Good_

_The arrest of drug-trafficker Jeremiah Zor-El has elated citizens of National City. He was found in possession of 15g of Cocaine, but the evidence for other crimes has been piling up since he has been in custody. One official stated that he will be in prison for at least one life sentence.”_

__\- August 14, 2007 Associated Press News article excerpt by William Hurst_ _

 

Alex stared at the corner where Maggie Sawyer was leaning casually against a streetlamp with an easy smile. Somehow, the smile fit, even if she was in one of the worst parts of the city. By some people’s standards. Certainly not hers. Alex swallowed and a part of her cursed J’onn for this. He hadn’t mentioned that she was beautiful. Not that it mattered. Of course not.

She wandered up and Sawyer called out with a simple, “Wish I had an umbrella.”

“I wouldn’t carry one even in a rainforest.” Alex responded back. Sawyer nodded at her and she went into the alley. The call phrases had been Alex’s idea, but Kara had come up with them, leaving Alex feeling ridiculous every time she needed to talk to a dealer. Still though, no one had been arrested for selling to a cop since they were instated.

“What are you looking for?” Sawyer asked and Alex replied swiftly.

“You.” Sawyer’s eyebrows shot up, her lips parted slightly, and Alex realized what that sounded like. “I mean, uh, well, I, er,” Alex cleared her throat,  “I have job for you.”

“A job?” Sawyer asked and Alex eyed her.

“Unless you want to stand on street corners for the rest of your life?”

“No.” Sawyer said with such force that Alex simply stared. “No.” She repeated softer. “What do you need me for?”

Alex stared into the alley and then, “Meet me at Noonan’s at nine.” Sawyer nodded. “You can finish up here.” And then sauntered away.

She flipped open her phone, “Vasquez.”

“Danvers.” The answering voice echoed.

“She’s in. You know the rules?”

“Of course.”

“Noonan’s at 9.”

“See you then.”

The line cut and Alex let a small smile onto her face. This would work.

 

_The Climate Refugee_

_You’ve heard of the refugee driven from their home by war and safety concerns. Today, we are also faced with a new brand, the climate refugee. Forced to leave because of natural disasters such as famine, drought, and rising sea levels, countries around the world are facing refugees running from a new enemy. The planet._

__\- April 2016 Catco Magazine article excerpt by Marlena Hernandez_ _

 

Noonan’s was much busier than her quick meeting with J’onn, but it would suit their purposes well. Vasquez was already in a booth when Alex arrived and gave her a small wave. Alex gave her a nod, but went to the bar and ordered a whiskey. With the tumbler in her hand, she took the seat across from her.

“What happened with Anna?” Vasquez asked and Alex just shot her an incredulous look. Vasquez shrugged, “We’ll have to wait anyway and since you haven’t mentioned her for a while.” She trailed off.

“Same thing that always does.” Alex said. “I’m too busy.”

“That’s why no one here dates.” Vasquez says. Alex snorted. That wasn’t technically true, but some days it sure felt like it.

“Well I doubt I’ll ever be able to separate feelings and fucking.”

“Well if you ever figure it out.” Vasquez gave her a suggestive smirk and Alex rolled her eyes.

She was saved from answering by Sawyer sliding into the booth. “Hello, hello.” Alex stared at her for a second and then ignored the pointed stare by Vasquez.

“Evening Sawyer.” Alex said. “This is Vasquez.”

“Hello.” Sawyer nodded and then turned back to Alex. “I never did get a name.”

“Danvers.” Alex said shortly. “The three of us will be working together.”

“And what will we be doing?”

Alex smiled and rubbed her hands together. “We will be robbing a truck. Should have close to five million in cash inside.” She paused and looked from Vasquez’s excited face to Sawyer’s interested one. “At least.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is excited to be on her first job, if excited means freaking out completely and hoping she doesn't die.

Maggie couldn’t help but admire Danver’s efficiency. And her brains. And the fact that she was gorgeous. Wait no. The fact was that when Maggie had agreed to the assignment, she had mostly expected to deal with a bunch of people who were brutal and a little bit dumb. Force over intelligence. But Alex. As she detailed the plan to take out the armoured truck, Maggie couldn’t help but be impressed. Through her years on the force, she had seen a bunch of attempted robberies and many successful ones. This was something else. And made her realize that she had solved a couple B and Es. They certainly had the Danvers flourish. A simple brutal solution that was ingenious. In another life this woman was probably curing cancer.

“Do you all understand?” Danvers asked. “Tomorrow night, alley next to 3rd and Johnson.”

“Got it.” Maggie repeated and Vasquez nodded.

“Then we are done here.” Alex finished the rest of her whiskey and left the booth.

“She always like that?” Maggie asked and Vasquez lifted an eyebrow. “Calculated, cool, perfectionist.”

“It’s her first lead.” Vasquez explained and Maggie tried to not betray her surprise. So the B and Es were still open. “She wants it to go well and impress everyone.”

“Wouldn’t have guessed.” Maggie said.

“Though that is her usual manner, not exactly one to let people in.” Vasquez chuckled. “Well, I have to go.”

Maggie nodded and got out of the booth and let them pass. “Nice meeting you.” Vasquez just gave a short nod.

Maggie looked around the bar, but figured that it wouldn’t be wise to linger. She didn’t know her place or the hierarchy yet. And while this was probably safe-ish ground, it probably wasn’t for her. Not yet at least. Besides, she needed to call Randall.

She shoved her hands inside her pockets as she walked out into the cold and towards her tenement. Her neck prickled with the feeling of being watched, and she used every way she knew to get rid of a tail. It faded, and there was nothing that Maggie had seen the whole time, this whole assignment had made her overly paranoid, so underneath an overpass, she took out her phone and dialed Randall’s number.

“Hello?”

“Randall.” Maggie said. “It’s me.”

“You’ve got something?”

“Not really, but I’ve worked my way up a little bit. I’ll be robbing an armored truck tomorrow.”

“No information.”

“No, nothing hardcore. Their ranks are closed tightly, but I’m managing to make my way through.”

“So the truck.”

“If one goes on the scanner near 3rd and Johnson I’d say ignore it.”

“You sure?”

“I’m gonna need to impress them to get them to trust me.” Maggie said.

“Thanks.”

The line clicked and Maggie took another look around. There was no movement. She headed back to go sleep, even if it was still early. Wasn’t like there was much else to do. And with her cleaning the best she could and getting some actual furniture it no longer felt completely uninhabitable. Key word on completely.

 

_Crime Report_

_“There are no leads on the break-in at AR Bank that happened Thursday Night. The break-in lead no witnesses, as the night guard was knocked unconscious and pertains no memory of the event. Security cameras were disabled during the robbery for unknown reasons. Any leads will be rewarded at the Downtown Police Station”_

__\-  December 21, 2016 National City News Blurb_ _

 

Maggie tried not to feel nervous with the gas mask on. A part of her was glad, she no longer had to monitor her facial expressions, but she couldn’t shake her uneasiness. There were a million ways this plan could go wrong. The confidence from yesterday had vanished. Vasquez tensed besides her as they waited for the first step.

Maggie peered out and the lights from the truck blinked around the corner. She nodded at Vasquez who said something in a walkie talkie. Maggie couldn’t tell, the blood was pounding too loud in her ears.

They had staged this in the warehouse district on a Saturday. There was no one around, which was good, because someone certainly would have been suspicious when a garbage truck shot out of an alleyway to crash into the armoured truck.

The crunching and squealing of tires made Maggie wince and close her eyes, but when it stopped, Vasquez was already moving. Maggie got into the van and pulled it alongside as she watched Danvers release tear gas into the compartment that held the dazed drivers and Vasquez began to work on the doors in the back. She hadn’t exactly been clear what Vasquez was doing, whether it was welding or some sort of hacking. Just that she was in charge of getting the doors open.

She watched as Danvers dispatched the drivers scrambling out, all seemingly without much thought, and then wander over to Vasquez. Maggie unlocked the doors of the van and then threw it open and handed Danvers some bags. The door came open and Maggie swallowed.

She had seen lots of cash, but this, this was something else. The others weren’t caught in her stupor and they began to fill the bags with money and then toss them into the van. The entire time Maggie felt like her heart was going to explode.

“That’s enough.” Danvers said as almost all of the cash was loaded. “They are going to need to check in soon.”

Maggie and Vasquez nodded and hopped in the van while Danvers took the wheel and they left the scene.

Honestly, Maggie thought, no one had anything on Danvers. She thought she knew evasive maneuvers, but this woman could have lost the entire US military if she wanted. Including the drones. Maggie wondered what other skills that Danvers was hiding. They arrived somewhere across town and the three of them loaded the cash into a built in refrigerator. A guard was there, wearing a ski mask, with a pair of dog tags around his neck, but he merely nodded and took the equipment, the guns they hadn’t needed, an extra canister of tear gas, and the masks, and then nodded for them to leave.

As they walked away Maggie let out a bark of laughter. “That was crazy. I can’t believe it worked.”

Danvers tilted her head and shrugged, “A fully loaded garbage truck is way denser than any armoured car.”

“How did you rig it so you could control it?” Maggie asked and Danvers just shrugged.

“Not too hard, they don’t exactly make garbage trucks hard to operate.”

“Anybody ever tell you that you’re a genius?”

“Once or twice.” Danvers shrugged. “Celebratory drink?”

Vasquez shook off, and the two watched her go, but Maggie followed Danvers into the closest bar, where Danvers ordered several tequila shots. Maybe the alcohol would loosen Danvers tongue, hint at the various mysteries that Maggie had uncovered. Why was the DEO so secretive about their organization? What was with the necklaces, the dogtags that the guard wore, but Maggie had also seen on Vasquez and Danvers? None of the dealers had them, and none of them had mentioned them. What was the DEO going to use with a minimum of $5 million? Though, from what Maggie had seen, she was guessing there was a lot more in that truck.

“I got it.” Danvers said and flashed her several hundreds.

“You took some?” Maggie asked feeling like that was more daring than the actual heist. She hadn’t figured out how the DEO carried out punishments, but figured that it wasn’t pretty. The extreme loyalty that had prevented anyone from knowing much about the organization had to come from somewhere. Not to mention that she had seen her share of mutilated corpses over the years, the worst were usually by one gang or another.

“Relax, we deserve it.” Danvers smiled and Maggie shrugged, but she took the shots eagerly.

Danvers pulled her out onto the dance floor, and Maggie kept telling herself that she shouldn’t find this woman, this criminal who literally carried off an armoured truck robbery (and probably could have done it by herself) attractive. Not this attractive. Seriously, who knew stealing made someone more attractive?

A tiny voice whispered and told her that it was alright. And that maybe a relationship could reveal information that she wouldn’t otherwise be able to normally get. At one point, Danvers led her outside and gave a heavy breath.

“Was getting a little warm in there.”

“Yeah.” Maggie said and blinked several time. She really hadn’t realized how drunk she was until she felt the cold sober her a little. She had planned to limit her alcohol, she was still on the job, but apparently, hadn’t done that good a job of it. The alley they had come up in was just as grungy as any other when all the sudden she heard a familiar click.

She turned around wildly to see a barrel of gun pointed at her and Danvers staring. “I know you’re still a cop.” Danvers said and Maggie swallowed. “I know that you are undercover and trying to take down the DEO.”

Maggie opened her mouth but nothing came out. She took a short breath and said hurriedly, “I’m not.” The words sounded flat and too late.

“You’re really going to try to deny it?” Danvers practically smirked. “I heard you talking to your handler.”

Maggie’s mouth was very, very dry, “So, you’re gonna shoot me behind this bar?”

Danvers stared, and then, she moved the gun down and put the safety on. “No, I’m going to help you.”

“What?” Maggie sputtered and thought that the alcohol was making her brain hallucinate. That would be a first.

Danvers was putting the gun away and Maggie was trying to figure out what was happening. “I’m. Going. To. Help. You.” Danvers repeated. “Look, I don’t know what your plan was or whatever, but no one’s going to completely trust you unless you’re here for five years or something. I can be your inside woman.”

“Why?”

“Well it’s this or I kill you.” Danvers said casually, but Maggie knew she was serious. “Your choice.”

Maggie swallowed. “Okay, yes that would be great.” Great wasn’t really the word she’d use for it. A miracle that she wasn’t already bleeding out in a grungy alley after she had been made.

“Good.” Danvers said. “We’ll meet to discuss this soon.” And she strode off.

Maggie watched, dumbfounded, her heart rate finally beginning to slow and her brain trying to figure out if she was in a dream or this was reality.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex makes a big decision.

Alex strode into the room and the door banged behind her. J’onn looked up from the dark wooden desk where papers were strewn about him. “So?”

“Dropoff was a success.” Alex said.

“And?”

Alex paused and looked at one of the bookshelves on the wall. “Sawyer’s a cop.”

“So you took care of her?”

“No.” Alex said and the chair scraped against the floor.

“What.” J’onn’s voice was cold and possessed all the power that he held. No matter their history he could kill her right now and nobody would blame him. Hell, Alex wouldn’t blame him for it. She would kill herself in this situation if she was J’onn. Alex swallowed, but turned around and stuck her chin out defiantly.

“The Feds and the Cops are interested.” Alex explained. “They are not going to go away, so we have two options. Kill her or let her think we’re helping her.” Alex strode forward. “Killing her would make her go away yes, but there would be another investigation and a more thorough one into her disappearance. Plus, killing cops in cold blood has rarely helped anyone.”

“And how do you plan to prevent all of us going to jail for a long, long time?” J’onn’s tone didn’t waver.

“I know that you have a list, either on your mind or written, on who’s the weakest links and on the end of the rope. And who you think is from Cadmus. We frame them to be the heads and give Maggie the locations of Cadmus warehouses.”

“They’ll want a leader.” J’onn said, his tone lightening slightly. “They won’t stop until they uncover that.”

“Non.”

J’onn sat back down and brought his hands together in front of him. “Non?”

“We both know that he isn’t to be trusted.” Alex said. “But Astra won’t let us get rid of him.”

“And how will you get others to play along?” J’onn said.

“Just spread it around that Sawyer is being watched by us and that we aren’t sure of her allegiance, but any proof, they need to take to us, no dealing with it on their own.”

J’onn leaned back. “It’s not good, and there are a lot of variables to make it go wrong.”

“Then we go back to plan A and make sure the body is never found.”

“This is on your head.”

“I know.”

“It better work.”

“It will.”

“It’s on your head.” He repeated.

Alex swallowed and nodded. And then turned around and exited the room hoping that she hadn’t screwed everything up.

 

_ Wharf Murder _

_ “Detective Joe McLaggen was found dead beside on the wharf this morning. He was found by fishermen. Police commented saying that he was working undercover, but refuse to say on what. One witness stated that a pair of dog tags were recovered on the scene. McLaggen is survived by his wife and son.” _

__         -  July 17, 2007 National City News article excerpt by Nancy Strobe _ _

 

 

“So why didn’t you take me again?” Kara was pouting and Alex had the urge to tell her that when you were in a gang, you were no longer able to pull that like some baby animal, but she knew that it wouldn’t have much effect. She settled for sighing instead.

“Had to test a recruit.” Alex answered between mouthfuls of pizza.

“And?”

“Jury’s still out.”

“Really?” Kara said and looked at her skeptically.

“Yes.” Alex gritted out, but couldn’t really blame Kara for it. It was unusual. She usually was able to suss someone out after their first job, at least enough that she had some judgements.

“I don’t believe you.” Kara settled for and Alex shrugged.

“Cool.”

“And the job?”

“Went very smoothly.” She nodded to where the TV was on and the anchors were discussing the robbery.

“Nice.” Kara said as they watched. They smoothly flicked from the news, which described five men as suspects, much to Alex’s amusement, to reality TV.

It was nice, Alex mused, to be able to pretend that everything outside the door was okay and to just relax. That they weren’t wanted criminals that the police hadn’t figured out they were looking for. Yet. “Kara.” Alex said softly.

Her sister turned to her with wide eyes. “What’s going on.”

She looked away, “I’m probably not going to be able to see you a lot these next couple weeks.”

“Alex.”

“I’m doing an experiment of sorts.”

“Alex.”

“It’s not dangerous.”

“Everything we do is dangerous!” Kara exploded from the couch. “What aren’t you telling me?” 

Alex swallowed. “Now isn’t the time.” Kara opened her mouth, but Alex cut her off, “I love you, and everything, but you do not need to know about it. Not yet. When you do, I’ll tell you.”

“Did J’onn put you up to this?” Alex paused and Kara launched out again, “Does he know about this?”

“Yes. Yes, he does.” Alex grabbed her sister’s wrist. “It will be alright.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Sure it will. You always say that.”

“Have I ever been wrong?” Kara leveled a stare at her and Alex continued, “Don’t answer that. But trust me on this.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Kara sighed.

Alex looked at the setting sun through the window, “This will hopefully make a big play against Cadmus. So, anything you get goes straight to me or J’onn. No one else. And absolutely no one knows about this.”

“What have you gotten yourself into?”

“Let’s just say if this works then the DEO will have easy control and we can start looking at more than just a turf war.” Kara stared and Alex added, “Don’t repeat that.” Kara nodded.

 

_ Re: Re: Re: Re: Cadmus is a front _

_ bfyet47 - no! the idea that Cadmus or the DEO is just a gang concerned with drugs and money is where the majority of the police and public are wrong. they are actually both trying to take over the world starting with NC. _

_ Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cadmus is a front _

_ jfkdeath55 - Okay, buddy, whatever floats your boat. I just don’t see how you can ignore all the statistics about crime in National City and somehow say that is a part of either gang trying to take over the world. They’re obviously just in it for the money. This is the nuttiest conspiracy theory I’ve seen on this site and that’s saying something. _

__         -  September 2016 Top Secret forum exchange _ _

 

 

Alex surveyed Sawyer’s new apartment. Her old one, well, anyone who was anything inside the DEO would not be in that, and so Alex had transferred her into the building that housed many DEO members. It was a safe harbor if you will, and it would give Sawyer enough that she would not be suspicious. Also, it allowed the rest of the DEO to keep a close eye on her in case she did anything that she wasn’t supposed to.

Because that was the problem. She didn’t know much about undercover cops, but she was pretty sure that gang members didn’t go out of their way to offer assistance. Then again, she was also pretty sure that cops weren’t made so easily. Or that most gangs were interested in much more than money. And protecting each other. Though those were two important things. The DEO just had a lot grander objectives that just that.

She could remember visiting her dad in prison, only a couple times, and always under an alias, he had instilled the sense of paranoia that allowed them to find Sawyer so quickly. He hadn’t failed to drill into her head that no one was going to help her unless they were family. That no outside source was going to swoop in and save the day. That there were only those who you loved and those who you didn’t. And you needed to protect those you loved.

It was later that he realized that he was not only talking about Kara, and her Mom, but Midvale, the neighborhood that was her home in National City. And that they needed to protect it because no one else was going to.

She had seen enough police brutality and profiling to know that they didn’t really care, they just wanted to improve the bottom line. The politicians were worse, talking about progress and flashing smiles, but there was a reason their homes were far away. No, the only one’s who were going to save this section, to stop it from sinking into total despair, were the ones that lived there.

And that didn’t mean it was necessarily pretty. They needed their own justice system, you wronged someone and you were punished, they didn’t have time for messy bureaucracies that didn’t even work. And yeah, maybe the punishments were a little extreme, but it worked. 

The people needed freedom, and sometimes that was with drugs. Alex wasn’t going to stop that. She didn’t exactly encourage it, but she could never blame someone for it. Everyone need a break, even if your only way was through a needle. She might never admit it outloud, but there was a reason she kept her liquor cabinet well stocked at all times. Everyone picked their poison. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

Cadmus was the real problem at the moment. They didn’t exactly align with the DEO’s interests. Which is why it was of the utmost importance to lead Sawyer on this wild path, because getting rid of Cadmus would get rid of a lot of unnecessary bloodshed. Right now, it was war.

“Thanks for this.” Sawyer broke Alex away from her thoughts.

“It’s normal.” Alex said and then continued on seeing Sawyer’s perplexed look. “A big job that yields at least five million plus in cash puts you ahead of the petty drug dealers.”

Sawyer nodded and then looked around. Alex watched as she took in the walls whose imperfections were only holes and nicks, not mold. “So,” Sawyer started,  “There’s things I have to talk to you about.”

“Not here, not yet.” Alex said. “The walls are still fairly thin.” As if on queue, there was a banging next to them and a muffled shout.

Sawyer nodded. “Then shall we set up a meeting time?”

“Sure. Next Friday, McClaren’s off of Lincoln. 1:30”

“Got it.”

“I leave you to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, hope you don't hate me for this, but it was always the plan. Alex could never turn on her family. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is suspicious.

Maggie still wasn’t sure to make of it. She wasn’t an expert on undercover work, but she was pretty sure that this was not to supposed to have happened. She was just trying to decide if she was a bad officer, or whether the DEO was really that paranoid. Or whether Danvers had been looking for any sign that there was a cop, so that she could get out. She ducked inside a coffeeshop and then flicked open her cell.

“Randall.”

“Sawyer.” He responded. “I see your robbery went well.”

“Yeah. Listen, I’m not sure how to put this.”

“Short and to the point is usually best.”

Maggie paused. “I’ve been made.”

“Where are you? We can pull you out.”

“No!” Maggie yelled, a bit louder than strictly necessary. There was a momentary hush, but then it picked up again. “No.” Maggie repeated, quieter. “She offered to help me.”

“Help you?” Randall sounded incredulous.

“Yes, help me.” Maggie sighed. “I don’t know how to explain it, but she cornered me, told me she knew I was a cop, and then told me that she wanted to help me.”

There was just silence on the other line. “I don’t know about this.”

“I can’t just be pulled out.” Maggie said. “What other purpose could she have other than to help?”

“I don’t know.”

That was the crux of the matter. Maggie knew this was dangerous going in, but until the gun had been in her face she hadn’t realized how dangerous. The adrenaline hadn’t worn off, and she wasn’t sure if she liked the high or not.

“I have to see where this goes.”

“You could end in the bottom of the ocean.”

“I know.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, keep me updated, and at the slightest bit of trouble.”

“I know.”

“This isn’t worth your life.”

The call ended, but the last line echoed in Maggie’s brain. A part of her wanted to call back and tell him, no, you’re wrong, this is worth my life. This is what being a cop means. Going where it is dangerous and no one else wants to, and bringing justice, even if it means the cost of your life. Especially if it means the cost of your life. Besides, he had put a rookie in an impossible situation, she was almost positive that he had been expecting something like this. And that the last words were spoken out of obligation and not any actual caring. Which was just fantastic.

 

_Many Arrests in Metropolis_

_“The Metropolis PD reported 17  arrests including Jonathan Kent, and 5 deaths, all alleged members of the Superman crime family. Chief Babcock commented saying, “It’s a great time to be a citizen of Metropolis and we get rid of this ugly gang violence on our streets.” There was no information on what led them to make the arrests.”_

__\-  January 4, 2004 Associated Press article excerpt by William Hurst_ _

 

The apartment that Danvers had set her up in was nicer than her previous one. She had an actual bedroom, counter space, and the bathroom didn’t look like it had been installed in the 40s. But there wasn’t much other than that. It was nice to no longer felt like she had to shower after stepping into it.

She’d packed her stuff up in the duffel she’d came with, leaving the furniture for the landlord to deal with, Carter had eyed her and gave a short nod. “I guess your resume was useful.”

Maggie had just shrugged back, “Guess so.”

“Remember me.” He had called as she took down the stairs and Maggie had gave a wave back to him. It was the easiest lie she had told yet. In their brief acquaintance, she had never found a moment where he seemed competent, capable, and not like he was still debating whether or not to slit her throat.

This building had the advantage of being DEO controlled, which gave her access to a lot of different people. The slight recognition in their eyes was enough for her to know their allegiance. It was a question of roles, something that Danvers had still been skirting around. She noticed that most had the same dog tags as Danvers and Vasquez.

She knew they all were something, considered to have some worth inside of the organization, but it was a matter of how much. Did they call the shots? Saved a life? Carry out hits? No one talked to her. It was making her more than frustrated.

“Sawyer.” She honestly thought that she had started hallucinating until she saw Vasquez standing there.

“Vasquez.” She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

“Danvers told me she moved you here. Nice.”

Maggie just stared. “Yeah, better than the shithole I was in early.”

Vasquez gave something resembling a smile. “Listen, we need you on the corner again. They’ll update you when you get the product.”

“Okay, good to know.” Maggie watched as she left, and Maggie sighed. At least they knew she existed.

 

_Market Plummets_

_“The first quarter of 2017 has not been kind to any market, but with the most severe drops in technology. Notably, Wayne Enterprises, Star Labs, and Merlyn Global were hit extremely hard. CatCo Worldwide Media,on the other hand, is one of the few companies to have a slight rise."_

__\-  April 2, 2017 Daily Planet article excerpt by Caroline Jackson_ _

 

Drug dealing, Maggie found, was very boring. Once you learned everyone’s routines, it was a lot of standing around and waiting. With all the drug deals she had seen gone bad, she had expected more. Of course, Maggie thought, in the beginning she had been tested.

She wasn’t sure if the DEO had told them to do it to test her, or the buyers had come across a new dealer and seen if they could take advantage of her, but she honestly wouldn’t put it past the DEO. Not when they ran everything like a cloak and dagger black ops agency. She had to put her police training to good use and pinned several against the wall until they got the message.

Now, they were as laid back as anyone could be that was searching for their next high. The mix of characters were interesting enough. Some clearly hit occasionally. Others were practically shaking from withdrawals already. Others were always high when they bought, and Maggie privately wondered if they were ever not under the influence. Though there was something impressive about being under the influence and able to carry out a transaction.

When she stuffed the various cash into her pockets she tried hard not to think about where it came from, whether it had been stolen or killed for, or that she was now part of the system that destroyed people’s lives everyday. She instead, used the time to think about Danvers. And the whole situation. But her mind would constantly go back to Danvers. The woman was striking, strikingly beautiful, a small part of her brain amended, and Maggie tried to not feel betrayed. Okay, she acquiesced, the woman was beautiful. And a criminal. And something like a genius. It confused her. Danvers was obviously very smart, so what was she doing running around with a gang. What could the DEO give her?

She easily possessed the intelligence to go to school and major in five different things at once and somehow save the world. But here she was, pushing drugs and robbing cars and a part of Maggie ached for them to have met under completely different circumstances. Where Maggie could’ve gotten under her.

Stop, Maggie chided herself, but now that the image was there it was probably never going to leave. Just what she needed. A crush on a criminal who would kill her if it came to that. And probably not think twice about it.

She looked down the street and really couldn’t wait until Friday. Then Danvers could give her some answers that could take her mind of the fact that she wasn’t going to be having sex in the next several months.

She stared down the street, her usual grin absent, and nodded at passersby. Danvers had said something about protecting Midvale, but Maggie had yet to see how the gang protected anyone, let alone their own.  

 

_War on Drugs Falters_

_“While the American government refuses to make any comments on how the War on Drugs has not reduced numbers in addiction centers or ODs, the increased drug trafficking in National City has pointed that the War on Drugs actually had the opposite of its intended effect. City officials have previously stated that NC, as a coastal city, is a large spot for the movement of drugs and claimed to crack down on it. They declined to comment today.”_

__\-  October 22, 2003 National City News article excerpt by Teresa Robinson_ _

 

“So.” Maggie stared as Danvers slid into the chair across from her. They were in a different part of town, populated mostly with college students, but Danvers displayed no unease being out of her territory.

“If we are going to do this, you have to protect me.” Danvers said. “I’m not going to jail for this.”

“I can give you full immunity.” Maggie said easily. She hoped so.

“If I’m seen meeting with you too often, then it will compromise both of us.” Danvers explained.

“So that’s why we’re here.” Danvers nodded.

“What do you want to know?”

“Who’s in charge?”

“Non. Though most refer to him as Manhunter.”

“Manhunter?”

“Never to his face, or really I wouldn’t say it to anyone, but if someone’s talking about Manhunter they mean Non.” Danvers’ lips turned upwards.

“And do you have pictures?”

Danvers gave her an incredulous stare. “Oh, hey let’s take a group photo,” She mocked, “Considering we are all wanted by the police. No.”

“Okay,” Maggie rolled her eyes. “Describe him.”

“Short white-blonde hair, average height, mid-fifties I believe.”

“This isn’t exactly narrowing it down.”

“If we ever see him, I’ll point him out.” Danvers placated.

“Okay, and where do the drugs come from?”

“Not my area of expertize. I don’t know where they are even stored.” Maggie raised an eyebrow, “But I’m working on it.” Danvers nodded, “Everyone’s pretty paranoid, don’t be surprised, the fact that I got you into Orchard is amazing.”

“How so?”

Danvers stared. “You’ve been around for, what, a month, pulled one extra job. Most people are ready to distrust you based on that. Nevermind the fact that you,” Danvers paused her voice lowering as if this was the most scandalous part to discuss, “Used to be a cop.”

Maggie nodded. “So, how are you going to find the warehouses?”

“Get on a movement job, I usually stay away from them, but if I mingle with the right people, I’ve been around long enough that I’ll get invited.”

Maggie didn’t believe her, but didn’t press. “How does this organization even work? Everything is shrouded in mystery.”

“I believe that it was started by a veteran.” Danvers started, “Don’t give me that look, we both know that veterans are routinely screwed over when they come back.” She had a point. “And he mandated that everything was need to know, so unless you are specifically working on something, you don’t know anything about anything else. For example the guard that we dropped the money to?” Maggie nodded, “He was probably not told anything, other than he would be getting a shipment, not what it was from, or how much cash, or any of that.

“If he wanted, he could probably figure it out, he’d just need to turn on the news or pick up a newspaper, but I doubt that he would do that. So, no, he just knows that there was a lot of cash. And he knows not to blab either.”

“Why, what happens?”

“Let’s just say that not everyone has all of their fingers or toes.” Maggie grimaced, “Yeah, Non’s a bit sadistic.”

“A bit?” Maggie repeated and Danvers just shrugged.

“It works, and hey you’d probably only really start to find things like that out in several years. Really, you’d probably have been a drug dealer for several years.”

It had occurred to Maggie, that Danvers coming to her, was all a little, convenient, it still didn’t fit with everything else she’d learned about her.. “Why are you doing this?”

“What?”

“Why are you helping me? You could have killed me and you didn’t so why? Why let me in when obviously this place means a lot to you?”

Danvers stared at the window and fingered the whiskey she had ordered even though it was the early afternoon. And they were in a coffee shop. Honestly, Maggie had no idea that they even served whiskey. “I’m tired of being a bad person. Drugs, killing, everything.” She took a sip, “I don’t want to deal with that fear anymore. I want to wake up and not feel the gun under my pillow.”

“You know that won’t just go away?”

“Yeah, but I should at least take steps so it’s no longer necessary.” Danvers said and then looked into her glass. She stared for a moment, hey eyes lost, and then finished the whiskey off in one smooth motion. “We’re done here.” She abruptly stood and Maggie watched as she marched off, not quite comprehending what just happened. She played with the burner in her pocket and made a mental note to dig more into Danvers, she was hiding something, even if it would probably get her killed to find out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The DEO plots.

“Alex.” The voice startled her and she looked around in confusion. Lucy Lane was staring at her with her head tilted and confusion etched on her features. “Are you alright?”

“Yes.” Alex said, grateful that her voice didn’t shake, and Lucy just gave her a look.

“As I was saying,” J’onn said, his voice dripping with disapproval, “Danvers collected $6.2 million from the truck robbery.” Alex nodded.

“We intend to use this money on our more, illegal purchases, since the bills will probably be traceable by serial number.” There was a score of chuckling throughout the room. “Mostly, we are looking to upgrade our arsenal.

“The cops are getting more daring.” J’onn said and Alex bit her lip. It would not do to let them know that they had become daring enough to send a cop into their organization. “We believe that the Federal Government has become involved as well.”

“Swines.” Someone muttered and Alex couldn’t help but agree.

J’onn shot them a look and continued, “They are not willing to make a public move, but we must be prepared. We are also confident that we can soon spell the end of Cadmus.”

“How?” Lucy twitched next to her.

“We know that Cadmus is only after the money, and cares nothing for the people.” There were boos from around the room. “We also know, that if we take their drugs, we kill them.”

“And how do you suggest that?” Non smirked and lifted his eyebrows and Alex fought the urge to punch him in his stupid face.

“Kara is working on contacts inside Cadmus, but the plan is still being formed, it will not be shared.” J’onn said with such the air of finality that no one dared to argue.

“We also suspect a mole.” Alex said after the previous information had soaked into everyone’s head. “Which means that no information is allowed to trickle down at all.” Alex’s eyes flickered to everyone in the room. “Otherwise, I’m sure Non will find something new to try out.” The threat was enough to make several people noticeably shiver. “I want any suspicions directed at me, and no action, by anyone,” Her eyes landed on Non, “Until I give the say-so. That means anything. You see someone talking to a cop, then you come to me. Do not take it in your own hands.”

“Why?” Astra challenged and Alex swallowed, knowing she needed to tread carefully.

“We all know what happened to Jeremiah when the murder was traceable. And the whole Metropolis disaster. While I do not question Non’s abilities,” The man dipped his head, “I believe that we can gain even more information without rushing into anything.” There were nods and Alex continued, “I trust that everyone can make sure that their unit is clear on this as well.”

There were murmurs of agreement, Alex raised an eyebrow, then there was a shout of, “Aye!”

“Good.” Alex said.

J’onn looked at Astra, “Do you need any resources? The breakfast is going well?”

Astra gave a small smile, “Everything I have is more than enough. I was wondering if you have given more thoughts on the afterschool program?”

Alex’s lips curled into a smile. Astra, was, honestly probably the most devious of everyone in the room. Non was scary, yes, but he did not have any of the plotting power that Astra possessed. J’onn was a good leader, but he mostly knew which ideas would work and which wouldn’t. And Alex liked to think that she was following into his footsteps. Astra was the real criminal mastermind. If they had one.

Astra and Non had been arrested following the aforementioned Metropolis disaster, it had lead to the death of Kara’s real parents, and the secret movement of Kara as Alex’s sister. But when Astra and Non had been released, they had joined the National City chapter. They would be watched too closely and carefully in Metropolis. Their reputations had preceded them, and they had been solidified in the ranks.

Astra had been monumental in helping them become welcomed in the eyes of the community.  While they had helped provide before, it was mostly just protection. She had instituted a free breakfast program for children, under a completely different banner of course. It had started ages ago, and allowed many in the community to stop distrusting the DEO. One of the first real steps in the DEO’s plan. Anyone from the outside would see her as a reformed felon that wants to make a difference. The first that Alex had heard and understood it, she had laughed for several minutes. Compared to them, Cadmus was nothing more than street thugs who moved drugs faster than the US military moved bodies. No one in Cadmus truly trusted that the anyone would have their back.

Astra’s newest idea, was to create an afterschool program that would identify which children were the best suited to join in their cause. Depending on how they behaved in that, Astra could put every child in the role that would serve the DEO the best.

With the reputation that Astra had cultivated, the community would back them, and trust that they would provide their kids with the opportunity to do well inside the DEO. Her favorite, was that there were no doubt some smart kids that Astra would help succeed, and then, no doubt the kids feeling grateful to the woman who had pulled them out, would no doubt accept a job with one of the many connections that the DEO had. They might never be aware that they’re helping the DEO. And the world at large would applaud Astra for allowing kids to succeed where they wouldn’t originally had the chance.

Because, as much as Alex didn’t think about it, their overall goal went far beyond just Midvale, and with the chapters scattered in various cities around the world, under different names of course, their founder had been insanely paranoid. Astra had made huge strides in the DEO having some more legitimate connections. Or at least, destroy the powerful people that were their enemies.

There were low murmurings, and then J’onn spoke, “We approve, but you know the risks.”

That was simply that the government would get a little too curious and look into Astra’s past a bit more. At least in the beginning. Passing out breakfast was one thing, but afterschool programs would get more attention. This had, on the outside, to be completely legitimate. And Astra could not be seen associating with the DEO either. At least not for several months.

“I know, which means that this will probably be the last time that I see any of you for a while.”

Kara strode forward and wrapped her arms around her aunt, “I’ll miss you.”

“And I you, darling.”

The crowd formed to make their goodbyes and then they dispersed, as the meeting ended. The room cleared until it was just Kara, Lucy, J’onn, Alex, and Stevens, a graying woman who held as many secrets as J’onn, left. Kara put her hands on her hips and turned to J’onn.

“Okay, what’s going on? Alex has been acting all weird.”

“You can say that again.” Lucy said with a sly smile.

J’onn sighed and then motioned them into a different room, that would guarantee that they would not be overheard. He sat down, but the four women remained standing.

“Sir, I-” He held up his hand and Alex fell silent. She bit her lip and ignored that she could feel Lucy’s delighted grin from behind her.

“We know the mole.” J’onn said. Whatever the other two were expecting it wasn’t that, they both sputtered and stared at them in confusion. Stevens just quirked an eyebrow and sat down.

“What? Then why make it a big deal?” Kara asked.

“Because we do not want this mole to be found or for them to get any information than what we are directly feeding them.” Alex said and walked over next to J’onn so that she was facing the three of them. Kara and Lucy stared at her blankly and Alex sighed, “There’s an undercover cop and we are using her to take down Cadmus.”

“And she thinks?” Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“That she’s taking down us.” Alex continued.

“Bold, Danvers,” Lucy laughed, “I like it.” Stevens chuckled in agreement.

“Which is why,” J’onn turned to Kara, “It’s incredibly important for you to get all the information we need on Cadmus.”

Kara just stared at Alex. “But she will know you.”

“I know.” Alex said.

“You’ll never be able to see dad again.”

“Not if she never finds my relation. Thank god no one here actually gets married.” Alex put on her best smile.

“Alex, I…” Kara trailed off and collapsed in an empty seat.

“At one point the police will stage a massive raid. We intend to make it seem that Non is the leader.”

“Non?” Lucy clarified.

“He’s been difficult.”

“That’s an understatement.” Stevens snorted, but motioned for Alex to carry on.

There wasn’t a lie there. Especially with Astra, the only one who could really control him, moving away from most contact. No one was looking forward to it. Really, one of the biggest hesitations with the afterschool plan anyway. Non was no doubt going to be more brutal, and make his desire for power even clearer.

Kara snorted, “Well, I don’t like it. At all.”

J’onn leveled a stare at her, “That doesn’t matter. We are already proceeding.”

Kara crossed her arms and stared, “Luckily, I have a lead. You aren’t going to like it.” Her eyes rested on Alex.

“And?” J’onn prompted.

“Let’s just say that I may have saved Lena Luthor’s life and found that she thought Cadmus was barbaric.”

“Lena Luthor?” Alex repeated, but Kara ignored her and continued.

“I am due to meet her again tomorrow, and see if I can get her to give me more information.”

“Lena Luthor.” Alex said again, and then, “I’m coming with you.”

“No you aren’t.” Kara narrowed her eyes, “If I can’t help with your police officer, then you can’t help with mine.”

“Girls.” J’onn cut them off with a wave of his hand. “Kara, you will tell Lucy where you are meeting her, and Lucy, you will be there to make sure that Lena is not endangering us or Kara in anyway, is that clear?” Everyone in the room nodded. “Good, now I trust that we all have enough on our plates, we don’t need to sit here and discuss the weather do we?” Alex, Lucy, and Kara scrambled out of the room.

 

_New Chief Sworn In_

_“Major Pike was sworn in yesterday morning as the new Chief of Police for National City. He promised that his main focus would be the increase in drugs and gang violence on the Western side of the city. “We have been complacent for too long,” He stated, “It’s time we put them in their place.””_

__\-  July 30, 2005 National City News article excerpt by Teresa Robinson_ _

 

“Alex!” Kara said as she opened the door. “You can’t run away from me.”

“Please leave.” Alex said as she poured herself a drink.

“No.” Kara said. “You have-” She lowered her voice, “A cop.”

“You have a Luthor.” Alex countered back.

“I-” Kara raised a fist, dropped it and then turned towards the window. “I’m worried.”

Alex sighed. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be my sister.”

Kara threw her a weak smile, but wandered over the window and wrapped her arms around herself. “This is a bad idea.”

“Yes.” Alex admitted. “Just like you going to see Lena Luthor. How did you run into her?”

Kara blushed. “I was in 13th.”

“Kara.”

“Reconnaissance.” Kara shrugged. “And some men were beating her up.”

Alex frowned. “Weird.”

“Right.” Kara said. “If I wasn’t there…” Kara shivered and Alex walked over to her.

“Hey.” Alex said and put her arm around Kara. “You were there.” Kara nodded and finally turned away from the window and looked at Alex. Alex wasn’t sure why she was comforting her sister over the fact that she had saved a Luthor, but that was to be considered at a different time.

“I trust you, you know that?”

Alex nodded, “It’s just really important for you to get those warehouses.”

Kara nodded and leaned her head on Alex’s shoulder. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, boom, we're getting more in depth with the DEO and politics is becoming a thing. Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara has an important meeting.

Kara understood J’onn’s reason to have Lucy be there, in fact, several months ago she would have asked for that sort of backup, but right now, right now, with Alex talking to a  _ cop _ she wished… She didn’t know, but she didn’t like it. She’d be fine, she trusted Lena, not that she could tell Alex, Lucy, or J’onn that. They would all tell her some variation of “you’re too trusting” speech that she had heard before. She knew she was right about this.

Still, she got the plan, the police staging a raid would mean that the DEO could reap the rewards without losing any supplies, and solidify control of Midvale. It would be a major victory, and if they were able to flush Cadmus out, it would be worth it. But that didn’t shake the sense that Alex was going to end up in a lot of trouble at the end of this. And probably hurt. Doubtless both.

But she could do her part, and she slid into the coffee shop and spotted Lucy casually sipping a latte and thumbing through a magazine. She gave Kara a wink and Kara ignored it. She had already spotted Lena.

She wasn’t about to mention to Alex that Lena was absolutely drop dead gorgeous with piercing green eyes, dark, silky black hair, and alabaster skin. Because that would make her a sap. And Alex would never let her forget that she had basically been penning a romance novel in her head. So nope, when Lena looked up and burst in a smile, Kara was not going to mention in her report to J’onn that her heart gave a little flutter. Never. And she was going to make sure that Lucy knew she was a very good actress. Extremely good.

“Kara.” Lena’s voice was all soft and sultry, and no one was going to know about it. Not at all.

“Lena.” Kara responded and couldn’t help but smiling.

“I’m very glad that you were able to come.”

“I wouldn’t miss it in the world.” Kara said a bit too truthfully. The grin on Lena’s face didn’t help matters. “I’m glad that you are okay.”

“Yes, well, I need your help again.” Lena said and looked down at her hands.

Kara’s eyebrows shot up, “Sure, of course, anything.”

“I know you are apart of the DEO.”

The blood drained from Kara’s face and she blinked twice to let Lucy know that everything was okay. Or at least, that she didn’t need intervention yet. “Um, what,” Kara sputtered, “What are you talking about?”

Lena leveled a stare at her and Kara found herself gulping. “I’m saying this because I need your protection in exchange for information.”

“Protection?”

“My brother wants to kill me.”

“Why?” Kara frowned, even imagining the idea of wanting to kill Alex was painful.

“Because, I don’t see eye to eye with him.” Lena said simply.

Kara flashed back to when they met, and she had beat up several men who had held Lena and were taking turns at taking shots at her stomach. There was no doubt that she had broken ribs, but was showing no signs of pain or discomfort. Probably because she’s used to it, a voice whispered in the back of her head and Kara felt her resolve hardened.

_ “Thanks.” Lena said as Kara had helped her off the ground. _

_ “Anytime.” Kara responded softly. “Do you need me to take you anywhere? The hospital?” _

_ “No.” Lena responded and finally looked up and gazed at the alley. It was that moment that Kara became aware that this woman was absolutely beautiful. “Actually can you walk me home?” _

_ “Of course.” Kara responded and helped her up gingerly. _

_ They set off down the street, and while Kara was burning with questions (Who were the men? Why were they after her? Are you sure that you are okay?) she held back. She was just going to walk a hurt woman home and get on with her day, trying to figure out how to get information about Cadmus. Questions like that would paint a target on her back that she had been hoping to avoid. So was saving damsels in distress, but certain things couldn’t be helped. _

_ “That’s Cadmus for you.” Lena finally spit out, and Kara looked at her. _

_ “What?” _

_ “I take you aren’t from this part of town?” Lena gave her an appraising look. _

_ Kara opened her mouth to argue, she was from this part of town, but she wasn’t really. The DEO and Cadmus territory was divided, and only on the border did it really fluctuate. But this, this was unquestionably Cadmus town. She settled on shaking her head. _

_ “A bunch of cowards, just trying to pump the town full of drugs so that they can get their money, they don’t care for anything else.” Lena sighed. “At least the DEO does some things for the community.” _

_ Kara couldn’t help but straighten with pride. It wasn’t much, but she was going to take it. “I’m Kara.” She settled on. _

_ “Lena Luthor.” Kara hadn’t quite been able to keep the shock off her face, but Lena had just walked up the steps to her apartment. _

_ “Can we meet again?” Kara asked as Lena fumbled around to find her key. _

_ “Of course.” _

That, had of course led to today, which gave her a much better opportunity to admire the woman across from her. “So, you’ll give?”

“I know everything about Cadmus.” Lena said, “I have not been partial to what they did, but I was smart, and groomed to become a leader.”

“And what happened?”

“Lex got arrested.” Kara nodded, that had been big news. “So I suddenly was the actual heir. And my mother and I got into many disagreements on how Cadmus should move forward. It got back to Lex, and he decided to take it into his own hands.”

There wasn’t a question of how, Kara knew of the resources that Jeremiah had while locked up. Someone could easily order a hit. “And you are willing to give that to the DEO?”

“I can’t go to the cops, they would arrest me on sight.” Lena explained and Kara ignored the hurt in her chest that she wasn’t the first choice. Not that she should be, they had just met, it just, hurt. “There aren’t a lot of people who would believe me, but I knew that you would.” Kara smiled. “And I’m sure it’s information that the DEO wants.”

It was moments like this, when things literally fell into her lap that Kara wondered if there was a god. This was just too perfect. “We would like it very much.”

“Good.” They stared into their eyes a moment too long for Lucy to not make a comment on it when they cleared out.

All of the sudden there was an explosion of glass. Kara faintly registered Lucy yelling for everyone to get down, when Kara threw herself down and pulled Lena with her. She looked up as she watched bullet holes rip through the coffee shop. The glass rained down, and the firing was muffled by everyone screaming. Her brain faintly registered that there were multiple guns involved, and she shut her eyes as the glass fell on them.

There was no slow motion, it started and then it ended, and Kara could only lay there for a second. Lucy was suddenly standing over her, her eyes darting in worry, but Kara gave her a nod. She sprinted outside. Kara crawled over to Lena, ignoring the biting of the glass into her knees and found the other girl bleeding. Kara checked it, it was a through and through in the shoulder, but it needed medical treatment, now. She grabbed her into her arms, trying to ignore the way that Lena’s eyes were open, but she wasn’t moving. Lucy was standing on the curb, looking down the way that the car had sped, but it was long out of sight. Kara nodded at her and then ran towards her car.

She put Lena into it and then sped towards Alex’s apartment, the elevator was on the ground floor, and Kara registered that victory in the back of her head. She would’ve climbed the stairs if needed, but with Lena in her arms, it would have been near impossible. Worth it. Just, practically impossible. And probably much too slow.

The elevator was going to slow, and Kara took off the second the doors opened on Alex’s floor. And banged on the door. And prayed that her sister was here.

“What?” An angry Alex wretched the door open and she froze. Her eyes wandering from the bleeding Lena, to Kara, who no doubt had glass and blood all over her.

“I don’t know what’s happening.” Kara said.

“She’s going into shock.” Alex said. “Put her on the kitchen table.” Kara shoved the papers off with one hand and then carefully laid Lena down as Alex dug out her first aid kit. “Hold her legs  up, I’ll take care of the bullet wound.”

Kara watched as Alex cleaned the wound and then stitched it up. Once she finished, Alex draped a blanket over Lena’s form and ducked a pillow under her head and then turned to Kara. “And you? Any injuries?”

Kara begin to shake her head, but Alex had already found her cut up hands and knees. She didn’t even feel it as Alex picked the pieces of glass out and bandaged them. “She’s gonna be okay.” Alex said as she finished cleaning the various cuts on Kara’s hands and knees. She nodded mutely. “You can put her legs down, she’s coming out of shock.”

Kara nodded and then looked at Lena whose eyes were blinking open and darting around at her unfamiliar surroundings. “Hey.” Kara said and Lena’s eyes flicked to her.

She faintly heard Alex on the phone with Lucy, but the only thing she could think about was how good it was to see Lena’s eyes flickering with life again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's some supercorp for y'all. I'm not thrilled about this chapter, but felt that my only real answer was to post it. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie finally gets eyes on the prize.
> 
> A/N: Just a warning that this chapter contains some graphic depictions of violence/gore.

Danvers had come through in the end. Maggie had begun to start doubting her, even more so, and that she would never get eyes on this Non, but one day, Alex knocked and told her to grab whatever she needed. She was very grateful that technology had gotten to the point that she didn’t need to lug around a huge camera to get decent shots. Wouldn’t have been inconspicuous at all walking with that through this hive of DEO members.

It was approaching 11 PM and Danvers had motioned for her to be quiet as they scaled a rusty ladder on the side of a warehouse. There were about four men and a woman standing on the ground on the other side, a metal trash can was lit, and in the center a man with white-blonde hair stood with a cruel smirk. Maggie knew before Alex opened her mouth.

“Non.” It was barely a whisper, but Maggie gave a nod and then checked to make sure the flash was off.

She started taking pictures, thankful that the crackle from the fire would make the click from the shutter impossible to hear. Their voices drifted up and Maggie clicked on the voice recorder.

“Now Brent, do you know why you are here today?” Non started.

“No.” A man stood a bit distanced from the others answered. The other two men and the woman made a loose circle around him and Non.

“No what?”

“No, sir.”

Non smiled, “You know what happens to thieves?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Turn out your pockets.”

Brent hesitated, but with a wary glance at the men around him, reluctantly turned his pockets out. Several bills fluttered to the ground, and Maggie was fairly certain they were some of the ones that Alex and her stole.

“Well, well, well.” Non said as he picked them up. “Where did you come across hundred dollar bills?” Brent remained silent and looked away. “ANSWER ME!” Non punched him and Brent’s head was thrown back. Brent stayed silent, and then Non shoved him towards the other three. The three took turns punching and kicking him until he was whimpering on the ground. “Are you ready to tell us?” Non knelt over him and smirked.

“I took them.” It was just loud enough for Maggie to catch.

“There.” Non smiled. “That wasn’t so hard.”

Maggie was getting pictures of everything, wincing when each hit was landed, but privately wondered how stupid Brent had to be to just carry the bills in his pockets.

He pulled out a knife and held it up, so that the fire caught the edge. The other three restrained Brent, who started struggling, but did nothing with his mouth and he started to howl. At first it was just yelling, but then Non brought down the knife and it turned into a strangled cry that made Maggie shiver all over. She kept taking pictures, biting past the taste of bile in her mouth. When it was over, Brent was left sitting on the ground holding his hand that now only contained four fingers. Non and his associates walked away laughing after Non tossed the phalange into the flames.

“Should we help him?” Maggie motioned towards Brent who was sobbing, once Non had left in a car.

“No.” Danvers said. They made their way off the roof and back down the ladder. “He’ll survive. Besides, if we interfere, Non will know.”

“So we are just going to leave him here?” Maggie frowned. She had expected the answer, but it just seemed so, inhumane.

“Do you want our covers to be blown?” Alex growled out. “Look, he got what he deserved.”

“Deserved.” Maggie stopped walking. “How is getting your finger cut off what he deserved?”

“He stole.”

Danvers said it so nonchalantly, that Maggie just frowned and shook her head. Noticing that Danvers hadn’t stopped, she ran and caught up. “You’re telling me that’s your perversion of justice.”

Alex growled. “You would call it a perversion. He broke a rule, he knew the consequences, so this happened. Yeah, it’s not pretty, but it’s justice.”

“I don’t believe you.” Maggie scoffed. Cutting people’s fingers off was just cruel.

Danvers sighed and rounded on Maggie, “And locking people up like animals is better?” She sighed, “You wanted your proof. Okay, happy?”

Maggie was most decidedly not happy. “Yeah, okay.”

“Now, with that out of the way, drinks?” Danvers asked.

Maggie nodded, but she wasn’t sure that she would be able to stomach anything. Not after all of that. But she couldn’t go and sit in her apartment. Hopefully Danvers could take her mind off some of it.

 

_Increased Hacks_

_“There has been an increase in hacks to corporate companies demanding money in exchange for corporate secrets leaked to the public. It is unclear whether companies have paid, or how many are hit. The only leads is the group is called Helix.”_

__\- December 2015 CatCo Magazine article excerpt by Joseph Cather_ _

 

It turned out that Maggie was really, really bad at pool. They had gone to a dive, and Maggie had challenged Danvers to a game of pool. Really anything to get her mind off of Non amputating the finger, and Danvers had accepted. And then destroyed her. Again and again. She’d never played much, but had thought that she was okay. She wasn’t.

“Damn Danvers.” Maggie finally said. “How’d you get so good?”

“It’s more like how did you get so bad.” Danvers answered as she leaned over and threw Maggie a cocky smirk as she sunk another one. Maggie couldn’t help but feel her face heat up as her eyes traveled to Danvers’ ass. And then glancing at the self-satisfied look on Danvers’ face, Maggie realized that she had been caught. She shook her head, ignored the voice in the back of it, and then gave Danvers a calculating look. If that’s how she wanted to play it, then that’s how they would play it.

Maggie stretched her arms over her head, so that her shirt rode up a little to reveal a thin line of skin, and smirked as she saw Danvers’ eyes flicker down and stay just a touch too long. When Maggie smirked at her, Danvers narrowed her eyes and looked at the table. She was rewarded with Maggie hitting the cue ball into nothing.

“Nice.” Danvers said and Maggie bit her lip to keep from responding. She then adjusted her shirt and when leaned over Maggie was given a perfect view straight down her shirt. Maggie gulped and looked away, but her face was rapidly heating up. It was a dirty move.

They went back and forth in the dance, the whole time the voice in Maggie’s head getting stronger and stronger, and she continued to ignore it. She went and got more drinks, her arm lingering on the waitress's arm just a little too long, and smiled when Danvers hit the next ball a lot harder than necessary.

“Losing your touch?” Maggie asked as the cue ball sailed into a pocket.

“You wish.” Alex said and stepped closer to Maggie.

“Looks like it.” Maggie said casually.

Alex took another step. “One bad hit isn’t enough to ruin me.” She took another step. Maggie was aware that they were less than a foot apart.

“I’m not sure about that.” She replied and it came a lot more breathless than she intended.

Alex smiled and took another step so that their bodies were practically flush together. Maggie took a deep breath. “I’ll just have to prove it to you.” Danvers whispered.

They leaned closer, then “Danvers!” Maggie took a stumbling step back at the same time as Danvers did and looked around to find the source of the voice. A short woman walked over, well, not short, she was about the same height as Maggie, and hugged Danvers. Maggie turned toward the pool table and fired off a shot not even caring that the ball didn’t hit anything. She coughed, “You’re turn.”

Maggie kept her head down and missed the flash of confusion on Danvers face. “Oh, right.” The woman next to her elbowed her. “Maggie this is Lucy, Lucy, this is Maggie.”

Lucy stared at her, “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Maggie said. She was still deciding if it had been a good thing that Lucy had interrupted whatever had happened there.

Lucy turned to Danvers, “I’m surprised Alex, if I knew I was your type I’d tell you I was interested way sooner.”

Danvers, no Alex coughed on her drink and flushed bright red, while Maggie chuckled and ignored the ways her heart turned at the sentence. “What, no, Lucy,” Alex sputtered, “I’d never, with you?”

Lucy laughed and slapped Alex on the back. “You are too easy.” Lucy turned to Maggie and eyed her carefully, “How’s it going?”

It was said with a hint of flirting, enough that Maggie wasn’t quite sure what was happening. “Well.” Maggie said, ignoring the turning of her stomach as she thought of tonight’s earlier amputation. All of the distraction of pool and alcohol had vanished.

Lucy walked over and leaned next to Maggie on the bar as they watched Alex take several more shots. “So, what’s it like to be an ex-cop?”

Maggie gulped as Lucy gave her a sly smile, “Weird.” Maggie said truthfully. “I thought I knew what I wanted to be all my life as a kid, and then I finally get on the force.” She shrugged. “Let’s just say that it’s nice to see the DEO has some standards. The police are all a bunch of hypocrites who’d rather make sure their stats are nice, and are fine with bloating them however they want.” It was perhaps a little too truthful for a random DEO person, but she had no how else to answer. It wasn’t exactly wrong.

Lucy chuckled. “Preaching to the choir.” They watched as Alex buried another ball. “I’m ex-military though.” Maggie gave her a look and Lucy shook her head. “I don’t need pity, just I understand how you have a bright ideal and then it turns out to be just as bad as everything else. Worse sometimes.”

Alex walked over and looked between the two of them, and then rubbed the back of her neck, “So how’s it going.” They both stared at her unimpressed. “Right.”

Maggie looked between the two of them, “I’m gonna head out. Thanks for the drinks.” She waved and they nodded back. As she exited the bar she groaned. This thing between her and Alex was getting too dangerous.

 

_Late Night Arrest_

_On Tuesday, the Metropolis Police announced the arrest of Lex Luthor. Police stated that he had warrants for questioning on activities related to Cadmus and charges for drug and weapon possession. “It will be an open and shut case.” One official stated._

__\- November 2014 Associated Press article excerpt by Sarah Jones_ _

 

“Here you go.” Maggie slid the two memory cards under a napkin to Agent Randall.

“And these are?”

“Proof that Non is a sadistic bastard.” Maggie shrugged. “Unfortunately not enough to put him in for life or anything. But it’s the start.”

“Excellent, I’ll start compiling it.” Randall said. “And Danvers.”

“She got me the eyes on him.” Maggie said carefully. Randall didn’t know her, and this was the first time she was thankful for that. “She’s working on the warehouses.”

He eyed her, and then flicked over to the window. “I pulled the name up on the database. There are several that are known residents in Midvale, most notably Eliza.”

“Eliza?” Maggie failed to see where this was going. Randall had for the most part been extraordinary unhelpful.

“Yes, but it is believed that she, well, retired from the DEO several years ago. Back before they closed ranks as tight as they are today.” Maggie frowned. “There are definite ties between her and Jeremiah Zor-El at the least. I believe that the Danvers you are with is one of her daughters, Alexandra or Kara.”

“Oh.” Maggie nodded. Alexandra, a part of her brain grinned as she filed the information away for later. And Kara, Maggie mused. Having a sister would make a lot of sense on Alex’s edginess. And secrecy.

“Alexandra’s older, 26,” Randall continued, “And Kara’s 24.” He waited for a bit and Maggie frowned at him.

“Yes, cool, I know that it’s Alexandra.” Maggie wanted to roll her eyes at the agent, but held it in.

“Then we narrowed it down.” Randall said, “I’ll make a note of it.”

“No.” Maggie said quickly and then winced. “I mean, not in the official investigation. If she has a sister, and it is found out that she’s the one who helped, then there’s no doubt her sister is also in danger.” Randall raised an eyebrow. “If her name is not on the official report, then it can’t be linked back to her as easily.”

Randall looked at her carefully. She had mentioned that she’d offered Alex full immunity, and he hadn’t been pleased, but hadn’t fought her on it. “As you wish, but don’t make me regret this.”

Maggie nodded as he left and finished up her milkshake. She honestly couldn’t promise him that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex knows she has a problem.

Alex paced around her apartment and grit her teeth. Her hands fumbled for the whiskey bottle and she didn’t even bother getting a glass. Just pulled straight from the bottle. Then she collapsed on the couch.

Maggie fucking Sawyer. J’onn had told her multiple times that her weakness was pretty women. And well, alcohol, but Alex was going to ignore that as she took another pull. Honestly, if Sawyer had been a man, he would be dead in the alley behind the club. But, she, she had this pull, this promise of more, this magnetism, and Alex had been swept in for God knows why. Well she and God, and probably seven other people knew why. When did she become such an idiot?

Alex took another swig from the bottle and finally she felt the loosening of her shoulders and the slight quieting of her mind. She leaned back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

There was a rap on the door and then, “Alex it’s me!”

“It’s open!” Alex called as Kara swung open the door with takeout in her hand.

“Alex, I-” Kara stopped as she surveyed the scene in front of her. She let out a sigh and placed the takeout bag on the counter. “Did you forget I was coming over?”

“No, that’s why I left the door unlocked. You know I’m not stupid enough to leave it on a whim.” Alex argued, but Kara marched over and plucked the bottle from her hands. “I was drinking that!”

“Not anymore.” Kara responded as she replaced it. Alex was thankful that Kara was not trying to dump it out. The last time, well, they both learned some things. “Here.” Kara handed her a glass of water and Alex dutifully drank it. “Now, what are we going to watch?”

“I don’t know,” Alex began.

“Great, I know just the thing.”

Alex sighed but let her sister rummage around for the remote as she went and unloaded the takeout and grabbed plates. “I’m glad that we could do this.” Alex finally said.

Kara smiled, “Me too. How’s it going with the cop?”

Alex was glad that she had dimmed the lights so that Kara wouldn’t be able to see her slight blush. “Good, started putting stuff on Non.” Kara nodded. “But I need those warehouses.”

“I got them.” Kara beamed. “Lena was quite helpful with that matter.”

“Was she?” Alex chuckled thinking of the bleeding girl that Kara had brought her. The two had practically been inseparable since Lena’s recovery. Kara blushed bright enough for Alex to see. “So the rumors are true.”

“What rumors?” Kara whipped her head back and Alex laughed.

“None yet, but I do intend to start them.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

Kara huffed and crossed her arms. “I’ll admit that I have the teensiest crush on Lena.”

“Ah ha!” Alex said and grabbed the take out box that was closest to Kara. “I knew it!”

“Am I really that obvious?”

“Only to your sister.” Alex said seriously.

Kara laid her head on Alex’s shoulder, “I mean, I can’t imagine it. God could you imagine putting a hit out on me?”

“Don’t even say that.” Alex chided. Her chest tightened and pulse quickened even at the thought.

“We’ll always be friends, right?”

“Right.”

Kara peered over at her, “And your cop friend.”

Alex ducked her head down. “She’s not a friend.”

Kara stared at her and then turned back to the TV, “Okay, whatever you say. Don’t forget that I’m your sister too.”

 

_Oil prices drop_

_Americans will see welcome news at the gas pumps this morning, and for the next month, as the influx of oil from the arctic regions. No comments on how long it will last for._

__-  July 17, 2017 Associated Press article excerpt by Thomas Freeman_ _

 

“Danvers.” Alex turned to see Maggie running up. “What’s this I hear about a new job for me?”

“Well, I figured that you’d get bored of dealing drugs all day.” Alex shrugged. “We need to do surveillance.”

“Surveillance.” Maggie lowered her voice, glancing at the various members around the hall. Alex gave her an easy smile.

“It’s not a big deal.” Alex tried to stress.  Maggie frowned at her, but then nodded. “You’ll need your equipment. And I’ll see you at the door in 5.”

“I got it.” Maggie still looked skeptical.

“She’s moving up quick.”

Alex looked to her left to see a dour James Olsen. “I don’t trust her yet.” Alex shrugged. “Probably never will, but she has done alright.”

“She’s a cop.” James crossed his arms and a part of Alex cursed how tall he was. He really made her have to look up. Not even in the nice, not really having to look up way that Kara was, but the uncomfortable, need to fully turn her neck way.

“Fired, but I see your point.” Alex said. “Don’t worry, if there’s any red flags I’ll alert everyone.”

James opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again and stalked off. Alex walked outside and not much later was joined by Maggie. “So thi-”

“Get in the car.” Alex ordered and Maggie complied.

They drove a couple blocks in silence before Alex spoke again. “I need you to follow my lead.” Alex said. “And no bringing up the fact that you aren’t really a part of the DEO anywhere near that building.”

“I follow your lead.” Maggie challenged. Alex gritted her teeth as Maggie continued, “Where’s this coming from?”

“Because they don’t trust you.” Alex shot back. She was slightly reeling from realizing that she had switched from Sawyer to Maggie in her head.

“And is that because you won’t let me out of your sight?” Maggie shot back.

Alex gritted her teeth, hoping that Maggie wouldn’t read into it at all. Not when she had hit it almost completely on the mark. “No.” She said, her voice shaking slightly. “They’ll never trust you.”

“Why?” Maggie demanded.

“All of us there, we would die for one another, but more importantly, we would die for Midvale.” Alex let her eyes drift off the road for a second and glance at Maggie. “We love our neighborhood, and you have only been here for a couple weeks. You will never have the bond that we will have, and therefore, since we didn’t know you as a kid, we can’t trust you as an adult.”

Maggie was silent for a long time. “So seriously, you know everyone.”

“Of course not.” Alex replied, and then was grateful that she remembered that she needed to lie. “I’m not acquainted with every dealer and gangbanger that we associate with. But other than that, I know pretty much everyone.”

“And everyone grew up in Midvale?”

“No, but they were either in similar circumstances or what not. Technically, Non’s from Metropolis, but a stint in prison put him with the DEO and he came here. Especially since his old group was destroyed by the police.”

“So, even if we take down the DEO everyone will find new hoods.”

“Not everyone. This hood is mine, and I want what’s best for it, and I think the DEO isn’t.” The lie felt strange on Alex’s sips. Honestly, Alex wasn’t sure how she was able to lie so well. Sure, half of all that she had told Maggie she believed, it was just not necessarily about her organization. The worst part, was that she didn’t want to tell Maggie lies. There was a foreign sensation in her gut, something she usually only ever attributed to Kara, that begged of her to tell Maggie everything. She just ignored it.

Maggie sighed. “They really should have given me more.”

“Huh?”

Maggie shifted in her seat, “To be honest, I’m probably not qualified for this. I was given no time to prepare, was just thrown into this.”

Alex could only assume that this was the reason that they had been able to pull the wool over her eyes early on. She opened her mouth to question why Maggie was telling her this and then closed it abruptly. Maggie had been essentially running blind and had latched onto the first opportunity that presented itself. There was no need to question anything more.

“We are technically guarding the warehouse that stores the main drug supplies.” Alex said. “But also surveillance, we’re to write down everyone that’s in there. And I suppose when we turn that in, it will be to insure that people are where they are supposed to be.”

“And if they aren’t.”

“Non will be happy.” Alex didn’t bother to leave the bitterness out of her voice.

Sawyer sighed. “I need more on him you know.”

“Yes.” Alex said. “But I know that you can wait.” They pulled into a lot. “We have to be quiet now, and it’s not that far of a walk.” Maggie nodded and they exited the car.

Much’ like the night that they watched Non, they climbed up to the roof of an old warehouse and laid prone to watch over the edge. There were a mass of people and Alex began to take descriptions.

“I don’t know all of them,” Alex insisted, “But I can identify some.”

“Who’s this woman?” Maggie tilted her camera to show Alex the screen. “She looks like she’s in charge.”

“That’s Lillian,” _Luthor_. Alex just managed to catch herself from saying it. Maggie might not have been an expert on the gangs of National City, but she would certainly recognize that last name. You only had to casually be acquainted with the news to know that the Luthors were tied exclusively to Cadmus. Lex’s arrest and conviction had spread that to anyone who cared even marginally about news.

“I think this is more drugs than I’ve seen in my entire life.” Maggie commented and Alex couldn’t help but agree. They seemed to unload crate after crate after crate. It was borderline ridiculous “It’s certainly going to make Randall happy.”

“Yeah?”

“He’ll be chomping at the bit to get this bagged.” Maggie commented and continued to take pictures.

“You’re gonna tell me when the raid is right?” Alex finally ventured.

“What?”

“I mean, you can’t really offer me protection. And, I’m no innocent, so you’ll tell me when I need to lay low for a while”

Sawyer bit her lip and stared through her camera. “Yes. I will.”

“Really?”

“You want me not to now?” Maggie chuckled.

“No!” Alex shrugged, “I just figured you being a cop and all, you can’t let the bad guys go.” Especially when they are playing you.

“It’s the least I can do after you’ve done all of this.”

Alex nodded and did her best to keep a straight face even though it felt like she had just been stabbed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy's had enough of this nonsense.

Lucy knocked on Kara’s door and shifted her weight from foot to foot. The door opened and James stood behind with an easy smile. “Glad that you could make it.” He said.

Lucy nodded and then waved at the other two occupants, Winn and Kara, and waved the bag that she had with her. “I brought some potstickers.”

“You are a dream.” Kara said as she ran over to get them and returned to the counter to place them with the rest of the food. “That’ll be everyone.” She announced.

“No Alex still?” Winn asked, confusion overlayed his voice and expression, while Lucy bit her lip as Kara sighed.

“She’s being dumb.” Kara said. “And spending so much time with that cop.”

Lucy closed her eyes. They were under strict orders to not spread the real nature of Maggie Sawyer, and Kara, well they both trusted James and Winn, but if J’onn found out, there would be hell to pay. And Lucy knew that Alex would take the fall for it, she just wasn’t sure that Kara did.

“The cop?” Winn questioned, “You mean the ex-one Maggie Sawyer?”

Kara looked up her eyes wide as she realized what she had said. “Oh, yeah, her.”

James and Winn looked at her and James ventured out, “Kara, what do you know?”

“Nothing.” Kara squeaked. “Do you guys want some potstickers?”

Lucy sighed. If that wasn’t a mark of something strange going on then she wasn’t sure what was. The men looked at her and crossed their arms, it was almost comical. “Just tell her.” Lucy said. James and Winn looked over at Lucy.

“You know?” Winn started looking a little downtrodden and then finished, under his breath, “Of course you do.”

“Really?” Kara asked Lucy, who nodded. There was no point in continuing the charade. Kara took a deep breath and paced nervously. “Well, Maggie Sawyer,” James mumbled something under his breath, “Is actually an undercover cop.”

“WHAT!” Winn said and looked around the room to see, well, Lucy was surprised that James wasn’t as shocked. He was surprised, but this didn’t seem like it was out of the realm of possibility for him.

“That makes a lot of sense.” Jame said.

“I don’t understand.” Winn said. “She’s a cop? What’s Alex doing with her? How come she’s here?” The last part was punctuated with a slight thread of terror.

Kara glanced at Lucy and Lucy continued, “She’s playing her. She’s lining up Non to take the fall, and for the police to raid the Cadmus warehouses that Kara got under the disguise of the DEO.”

“Why didn’t Alex just kill her?” Jame said and Lucy wanted to find Alex and shake her. Seriously that would have made so much more sense. Sure if this gamble paid off it would be amazing, but the chance of that happening without Alex getting hurt, well if what she had seen at the bar with them, then Alex was already too deep. And on top of that, there was the chance that she might be arrested. Or murdered. God what would happen if Non found out?

“She’s under the impression that straight killing the cop will have repercussions like what happened with her father.” Lucy said, “And this will be a way to strike a major blow against Cadmus.”

“It just,” Winn was momentarily lost for words, “Unnecessarily dangerous.”

“Thank you.” Kara exclaimed.

James looked over at Lucy and Lucy nodded. It was stupid. It was also exceedingly Alex Danvers. Ridiculous, dangerous, and might actually work. “You know Danvers is never good at killing pretty girls.” Lucy said.

Several things happened at once. Winn began sputtering, Kara put her hands over her ears and yelled, “I don’t need to hear that!”, and James began to laugh. Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Seriously Kara, that is not the worse thing that I could say. Anyway, but seriously, she’s in too deep.” Lucy said. “They are totally going to fuck.”

“Lucy!” Kara yelled, but Lucy just grinned.

“I bet they won’t.” Winn said, “Alex wouldn’t do that.”

“$20?”

“Deal.”

Lucy shook her head. This was going to be the easiest $20 she ever made.

 

_Troops Slated to Return_

_Today marks the first day where the US is no longer pursuing the operation in Iraq. “No more troops will be sent.” An official from the Pentagon stated. They did not disclose the timeline for all troops to be sent home._

__-  August 30, 2010 Associated Press article excerpt by Marcus Salk_ _

 

Lucy fiddled with the chain that held her dogtags as she entered Noonan’s and made a beeline towards J’onn sitting in the back booth. Next to him was Stevens, eating from a small dish of pretzels.

“I’ve been in this fight for a long time,” Stevens was saying, “I don’t approve of Danvers’ methods. It’s too risky. She’s young and naive.”

J’onn watched her carefully and then nodded at Lucy as she took a seat. “We have been here a long time, and we’ve seen a lot, but has anything really changed?” He paused and Stevens narrowed her eyes at him. “The DEO was founded on a type of goal that it has never come close to achieving, this may be our opportunity to take a real step closer to that.”

“And you’re willing to risk Danvers for that?” Stevens crossed her arms. “I’m not going to be the one to tell Eliza, and I’m sure as hell not telling Jeremiah.”

J’onn stared, “I trust her.”

Stevens harrumphed and looked at Lucy. “So, how’s the Luthor girl, you think she’s setting us up?”

“The drive-by was legit.” Lucy said, “Everything I’ve seen points to the fact that they knew Lena was going to be there, and it was a hit. Plus, Lex has been reported to raving to anyone who will listen that his sister has betrayed him and Cadmus.”

“And Lillian’s fine with this?”

Lucy shrugged, “She doesn’t seem to care. We’ve all heard the rumors of Lena’s parentage.” Lucy added. It was widely whispered that Lena was Lionel’s and not Lillian’s. And Lionel had been dead for a long time. “I feel like we have our answer.”

“It just seems too convenient.” Stevens said.

“As it may,” J’onn said, “It would be impossible for Lena to know of our plan in regards to Sawyer.”

“Unless Kara said something.” Stevens muttered. J’onn and Lucy both leveled a stare at her and Stevens gave a chuckle, “Right, forget I said anything.”

J’onn looked at Lucy, “Did you deal with Mr. Franzen?”

Lucy nodded. It had taken some digging to figure out why Maggie Sawyer had been picked to be the undercover agent in the DEO, and when they realized that she had been investigating the Alderman, well, he needed a reminder. Everything needed to be guarded more thoroughly than the US Constitution.

“Good.” Stevens nodded. “We cannot afford any slip ups, especially with Danvers on the line.”

“Careful,” Lucy quipped, “You’re feelings are showing.”

Stevens rolled her eyes, “Don’t forget that I was there when both of you were in diapers.”

Lucy laughed and J’onn sighed. “You’re dismissed, we have a shipment coming soon that I’ll need you for, but you’re good for now.”

Lucy slid out from the both and gave a salute, that had Stevens laughing and J’onn narrowing his eyes.

 

_Lionel Luthor, a longtime resident of Midvale, died on Wednesday. He was a caring member of Midvale respected by all its residents and a community leader. He is survived by his wife, his son, and his daughter._

__-  Lionel Luthor’s obituary on February 4, 2006_ _

 

“Thanks.” Lucy nodded to the bartender as she slid up next to Alex far away from Midvale. It was a bar Alex frequented when she wanted to get wasted and a long time ago the bartenders and Lucy had come to an arrangement that when Alex began to approach her limit they would give her a call. It hadn’t happened in a while, a part of Lucy had hoped that maybe it wouldn’t happen again, but she knew if was just wistful. And the fact that the cop had been keeping Alex distracted had done much to prevent this. But now, well, the cop was what Alex would need distracting from.

Alex was on the corner stool, staring blankly forward, her hands tracing designs on the glass in front of her. Her eyes were glassy and Lucy slid in the stool next to her. “Hey.”

Alex blinked several times and then looked at Lucy in surprise. “I didn’t call you.” She frowned.

“No.” Lucy said. “What brought you here?”

Alex stared at her glass. “Had nothing to do. Kara’s with Lena, Sawyer,” she frowned and trailed off. “My only job is keeping Sawyer occupied and I didn’t need to do that.”

Lucy nodded, at least there wasn’t anything special that had set her off, that was an issue she wasn’t capable of dealing with at the moment. And Alex specifically went to this bar so that Kara wouldn’t run into her. Usually, Alex was angrier and unwilling to leave, convinced that more alcohol would help her.

But that wasn’t the case today, just Alex needing to not think, so Lucy stood, “Come on, let’s get you home.”

It didn’t take long for Alex to stand up and stumble. Lucy caught her, and adjusted Alex’s arm so it was over her shoulder. It was a bit awkward, Alex had a couple of inches on her, but Lucy had practice, so after Lucy tossed some cash on the bar and nodded at the bartenders, they waddled outside.

It took a bit for an Uber to arrive, and Lucy shuffled Alex in. “You’ve got to stop doing this.” She muttered.

“I know.” Alex sighed. “I know.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie has a lot of questions. For everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some intense violence in the beginning. Also, on desktop, you can hover over the italized text for a translation, but for mobile, translations will be on the bottom.

Randall stared at her hard. “All you need is a little more time.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“You saw for yourself how many drugs were in the warehouse. Do you want those getting on the streets?”

Maggie swallowed and grit her teeth. “Of course not. But you realize that this compromises the investigation. We need the leaders if we are going to do anything, and right now, with nothing linking Non to the drugs, we cannot move forward.” Seriously, he was the federal agent here. She was the one that had no experience with this kind of thing.

“Fine, you have one month, but no matter where you are after that, we are moving forward.”

“Yes, sir.” Maggie nodded and fought her temper down.

She understood, she did, but she couldn’t feel like this was severely messed up. They had thrown her in with little time to prepare, a fact that she realized that made her need to depend on Alex. And that Alex could be telling her whatever she wanted, but there was nothing that she could do about it. It didn’t help that Alex was so fucking attractive and despite everything seemed like a good person. But Randall had gotten trigger happy the second he had seen how many drugs there were, and it killed her. Wasn’t the point of undercover work that you needed to make sacrifices in order to get to the heart of the matter? Let bad things happen so you can get the biggest fish?

She wouldn’t really know. She had only been a detective for two years, but they had given her this undercover op already. Mostly, Maggie thought as she watched Randall leave, because they wanted to get rid of me. She was a good detective, but everyone was just waiting for her to fail. And now’s it’s going to fail because the Feds are getting antsy. And are incompetent.

 

_Risky Business_

_We aren’t in a recession, but the last quarter of 2016 has been punctuated by no growth. There has been an increase in unemployment, and many families are sensing the heat as they head into the holiday season._

__-  November 2016 Catco Magazine article by Tessa Freeman_ _

 

Alex had picked her up with the plan to meet at a restaurant where Non would be. The hope is that Maggie could record his conversation and that it could link him to the drugs and other crimes. It was a longshot, but with Randall’s deadline in the picture, she would need everything they could get. And this was the best Alex could do for her right now. The shrill of a phone pierced the car door and Alex fumbled with hers and opened it.

“Danvers.” Alex paused waiting for the person on the other line. “Today? Fine, okay, I have Sawyer with me. Okay.” She sighed and hung up. “Change of plans.”

“Huh?”

“We have a shipment I’m to oversee.” Alex sighed. “You will stay in the car. And you won’t be able to take any surveillance.”

“You’re sure.” Maggie frowned.

“I’m not exactly parking far away, they’ll be able to see you, and will probably be watching for anything suspicious.”

Maggie’s frown deepened, but nodded as they begin to head to the docks. She stared out the window watching the cars zip by feeling like she needed to say something. She just wasn’t sure what exactly. “The raid is going to happen within a month, if not sooner.”

“Oh.” Alex said. “That’s fast.”

“They got antsy with all the drugs in the warehouse.”

“So we need more on Non.”

“Yeah, sooner better than later.”

They lapsed into silence and and then Alex drove into the docks, flashing an ID and moving through the towers of containers, until she finally pulled up and stopped the car. A woman and two men were standing next to one. Maggie squinted at the woman for a moment, and then realized she was from the bar, Lucy. Alex got out. “Here.” She said and rolled down the window. “So you won’t do something stupid.” She flashed her a smirk and Maggie resisted rolling her eyes, but was pleased.

“Open it up.” Alex barked out and the two men moved into action. With a tug they opened the doors and Maggie couldn’t hold back her gasp.

Just under fifty people filed out. Mostly men, but of all ages. There were some children and they huddled next to who Maggie assumed their parents. Maggie stared at them blankly, catching some Spanish as the group murmured to themselves.  She itched for her camera, if the DEO was involved in human trafficking, then this was big enough to delay the raid. Of course, she hadn’t brought it, the trip to see Non was for audio. She looked around, but the Lucy was staring hard at her, and Maggie stayed still.

“Payment.” Alex said and the two men brought out a sack.

Murmurs of “ _Dinero_.” broke out among the crowd and then with a rustling they reached into their bags and brought out money. Slowly the men moved down the line,  until they stopped in front of one man, who looked down. Maggie noticed there was a tiny gap between him and the two other men beside him.

Alex stepped up and grabbed his chin and forced him to look up into her eyes. “Where is your money?”

The man swallowed and then spoke in accented English. “I do not have it.”

“Why?” Alex demanded.

“They took it.” His eyes darted to the side and Alex released him.

“Is this true?” Alex addressed the group at large, but everyone seemed to move away from him.

The group didn’t hesitate to be loud and within the commotion Maggie caught catches of “ _Mentiroso_.” And one older man saying while bristling, “ _Nos traicionaste, no te debemos nada_.” She wasn’t an expert, but she was fairly certain that their accents were not Mexican.

Alex held up her hand and all the chattering stopped. The man in front of her was looking angry. “You know the rules.”

He pushed past her and started to run and in one smooth motion Danvers pulled out a pistol and shot once. The man’s chest was dotted with a single, rapidly growing, red mark and he crumpled to the ground and Maggie just stared at everything with her mouth opened. What had just happened?

She almost missed Alex stepping calmly over his body as the men continued to get payments from everyone. The group stared at the body warily, but all gave money and then Danvers signalled to Lucy. “Take them to Kara,” And to one of the men, “Dispose of the body.”

The other man and Lucy ushered the people away as the man lugged up the body away. Alex returned to the car and started it. Maggie stared at her as she pulled away.

“Are you going to say anything?” She finally broke the silence.

“What?” Alex snapped.

“You just killed a man.” Maggie said just above a whisper.

“He didn’t have his payment, not my fault, everyone knows the rules.”

“The rules?” Maggie was incredulous. “You took a man’s life over rules?”

Alex pulled over to the side of the road and let out a growl as she turned towards Maggie. “Those are our laws. How is it different than the death penalty?” Maggie opened her mouth, but closed it again. “Exactly.”

Maggie crossed her arms as Alex continued driving. “And the DEO is into human trafficking? You were never going to mention this to me.”

“You are after drugs. You never said you wanted a list of every illegal activity we commit.”

“But seriously, Danvers, human trafficking. I thought you were good.”

Alex gave a cold, humorless laugh. “I don’t know where you got that delusion.” And then gripped the steering wheel tighter. “We aren’t using them for anything.” She finally said.

“What?”

“The immigrants, we just provide passage and temporary housing. As long as they keep up with payments, we ask nothing from them. If they do want to join, then we will provide employment, and they will be treated like anyone else.”

“And you trust this Kara person.”

“Of course.”

“Why?” Maggie wanted to know if Alex was going to trust her with this..

Alex looked pained. “I just do.”

“I’m gonna need something more specific.”

“She’s, she’s my sister.”

Magge was frozen as her mind raced a million miles. How was she supposed to react like this is new information? “Your sister.” She repeated faintly.

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping her from you, because I didn’t want to get her involved in this mess.” Alex admitted quietly and Maggie felt her heart swell. Whatever Alex thought, Maggie knew that she was a good person. Just trapped in a system that made her act in grotesque ways. “I’m taking you back.” Maggie nodded as she tried to process the new information.

Alex was doing this for her sister. Who, Maggie somehow knew, was involved, but hadn’t gotten her hands as dirty. Alex was willing to do anything to protect her sister. And just wanted what was best for her.

When Alex parked they both exited and Alex followed Maggie up. “Come in.” Maggie invited, and there was only a brief pause, but Alex followed her in. “You want anything to drink? I have beer.”

“You have anything stronger?”

“Whiskey.”

“I’ll have that.”

Maggie grabbed a beer for herself and a glass and the whiskey for Alex, who took them out of her hands and poured herself a generous portion, and then downed it, without even wincing. She poured herself another, but took it a little slower this time.

Maggie gazed at her, annoyed at herself for everything so far. That despite everything, she couldn’t help but want to take Alex into her arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright. That she was a good person, what mattered is that she was trying. Her eyes dipped to Alex’s lips, and then, they both moved.

Maggie wasn’t sure who moved first, but all the sudden Alex had her in her arms and was kissing her, they backpedaled until Maggie’s back hit the wall, and Maggie’s brain screamed, but her entire body told her it was okay.

“This is a bad idea.” Maggie said in between kisses.

“Yes.” Alex agreed and moved her mouth to her neck.

“I don’t want to stop.” Maggie said her voice an octave higher.

“Me neither.” Alex agreed and Maggie brought her mouth back to hers and it was everything at once. Her whole body was a light, and they shrugged their jackets to the ground, and Maggie started on Alex’ button up, when Alex drew back for a second.

“Are you sure?”

Maggie stared at her for a moment, her hands stilled and then nodded once. “Yes. Are you?”

“Of course.”

They surged forward again and Maggie didn’t think any part of her could regret this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinero - Money  
> Mentiroso - Liar  
> Nos traicionaste, no te debemos nada - You betrayed us, we owe you nothing.
> 
> Okay, let's go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! We are reaching the end, only a couple of chapters left. Also, I just used Google Translate for the Spanish, so if any of you see anything glaringly wrong, please let me know.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex knows she's in trouble.

Alex had hastily dressed and left Maggie dozing on the bed, and had run up to her apartment. And then collapsed on the couch and had another glass of whiskey. And another one. This was not how it was supposed to happen. It was never supposed to happen.

Maggie was, she was, wonderful. And beautiful. And there was nothing around that. And she believed. She believed in her. And Alex hadn’t been lying when she told Lucy that she didn’t do casual. And Maggie wasn’t casual. She was, so much more.

And so Alex had run away, not sure what to do with her feelings and thoughts after having the best sex of her life. She hadn’t meant for that to happen, but Maggie had been looking at her and all of the feelings she had been repressing spilled over and had just forced her forward and she had prayed that Maggie felt the same way. And then it had spiralled out of control and Alex was here. Sitting in her room, by herself, drinking whiskey trying not to think of the woman several floors down, but simultaneously not wanting to think of anything else.

Maggie made everything easy, and despite the fact that she could have Alex arrested and behind bars in a heartbeat. She could easily destroy the lives of everyone she loved. When she had brought up Kara, Alex had wanted to tell her, wanted her to know how much she loved her sister, instead of feeling guarded. It was a mess.

“Danvers you there?”

Alex got up and unlocked the door to find Lucy standing in the doorway.

“Transfer was complete, Kara was-” Lucy stopped -”Woah, are you okay. You look… confused.”

“I’m fine.”

“What happened?” Lucy asked as she closed the door.

“Nothing.” Alex grumbled.

“Oh my god.” Lucy grinned. “You and Sawyer finally slept together.”

“What?” Alex said but flushed bright red, “No! What do you mean finally?”

Lucy laughed, “Wow, honestly wasn’t sure if you were going to chicken out or not, but damn Danvers, you’ve got game.”

Alex crossed her arms and adopted her most serious expression that was marred by the bright red of her cheeks. “We did not sleep together.”

“I mean I might believe you,” Lucy said, “If your face wasn’t lit up like a sunset.” Alex turned around and Lucy laughed, “So how was it?”

“I’m not discussing this with you.”

“Well you should be pleased that you earned me $20.” Lucy smirked. Alex harrumphed, but didn’t turn. “So, how did it happen? You finally bite the bullet? Stopped caring that she’s a cop and you’re tricking her? Or is that part of the plan all along? Lull her into an even deeper false sense of security?”

“SHUT UP!” Alex roared and turned, “Please, just leave it.”

Lucy eyed her warily. They’d known each other long enough that Lucy didn’t fear Alex, but that continually prodding her would just leave them both frustrated and itching to take it out on someone. “Okay, okay,” Lucy nodded, “I just hope that you know what you are doing, that even with the massive sexual tension I was able to sense from her in the car, that this is probably stupid.”

“I know.” Alex gritted her teeth. “I know.”

Lucy nodded, “Well, I’m out of here, just needed to deliver that message.”

“And Kara’s doing fine?”

“Yeah, she’s settling them in. No one’s about to give her trouble. And George checked in and said everything’s taken care of.”

Alex nodded, “Alright, thanks.”

Lucy closed the door behind her and Alex locked it and then grabbed her empty glass and refilled it. She had massively screwed up. No, massively screwing up was getting arrested and needed to use a few well placed bribes and witness intimidation to get out. This was, this was something else completely.

She knew one thing for sure. J’onn was absolutely going to kill her.

 

_CONTAINER: 8D11E_

_FOR: Waller Holdings Inc._

_DECLARATIONS: Textiles_

__-  September 2017 Shipping Manifest for Queen’s Gambit at National City Port_ _

 

“I understand.” Maggie was staring at her, eyes practically blank, and Alex swallowed uncomfortably.

“No, it’s, I freaked out.” Alex said. “With everything, and then on top.” She rubbed the back of her neck, “I really like you, I really do.”

Maggie stared at her, “That’s your explanation?”

If they weren’t hiding on the roof of a warehouse and taking surveillance pictures, then Alex would probably throw out her hands and say, quite loudly, “What do you want from me?” They were, so she settled on a quiet, “I can’t give you anything more.”

Maggie stared at her for a long time, “At least the sex was good.”

Alex feels the blush rise on her cheeks and scoffs, “Just good?”

Maggie bit her lip to keep from laughing and looks through her camera and snaps a couple pictures on Non and his compatriots. “It can be just sex.” She finally said.

The lie echoed between them for a moment, “Yeah?” Alex finally said.

“Yeah.”

They settled in quietly, both refusing to correct the other. It just wasn’t worth it. Plus, Alex thought absentmindedly, she’ll hate me less when this all blows up. The lie soured, but she was going to ignore it. For as long as possible.

It wasn’t the first time that Alex wished Maggie wasn’t a cop.

Non was loading several people out of the car and Alex winced. It was good that Maggie was here, these were the things that would get Non locked up for several life sentences, she just, she was glad that she no longer was directly involved in these sorts of things.

“Stay sharp.” Alex said hoping that her tone communicated something to Maggie. That while she didn’t like it, this was a necessary part of life on the streets, and when you broke enough rules, this is what happens.

Non and several of his men lined the people up against a wall. Maggie let out a sharp exhale. The shutter clicked. Non leveled his gun. The first one went down.

Then the next.

And the next.

There was no hesitation. Non merely leveled and pulled the trigger. No emotions passed on his face. Alex glanced over and saw that Maggie was gripping the camera as she took pictures after pictures. Alex swallowed uncomfortably as Non and his men stood over the eight bodies.

“Do you know what will happen to the bodies?” Maggie asked.

“No.” Alex said and felt some relief that it wasn’t a lie. She wasn’t in charge of Non or any of the people that had been taken, so didn’t know their crimes. Whether they would be sent back to the families as a message, or provided as a gesture of faith. Whether the families would just live with the pain of not knowing where David or Julius were, and destroy the bodies so that no one, not even the most advanced labs in the world, would be able to figure out who they were or who killed them. She had a feeling most were in the latter.

“That’s-”

Alex cut Maggie off before she could help herself. “A part of life.” Maggie grunted. “I’m sure they all deserved it.”

“Deserved it?” Maggie repeated.

Alex sighed, “It’s a reality. I’m not saying I wish there was another way, but they knew the consequences.”

Maggie gives her a long stare, but Alex just looks back, unflinching. She doesn’t really feel guilty, but this kind of thing happens rarely, and she won’t get used to it. Kara tells her that’s a mark of being a human. Alex mostly thinks that it will get her killed.

“We should go.” Maggie says.

Alex nods and they inch away, down ladders, in cars, and to the apartment building. Alex follows Maggie inside her apartment and grabs herself a beer as Maggie hides her equipment.

“They’re going to plan a raid the second they see these pictures.” Maggie hummed. “They’re tired of waiting as it is.”

Alex hummed and tossed Maggie a beer. They settle in on the couch and stare at the wall. “Do you get tired of it?” Maggie finally says.

Alex sighs, “Yeah.”

There’s nothing else to say in response, she does get tired. Sometimes she does wish that she was really planning a true raid with Maggie, that this would be over and she could move across the country and never think about the fact the cold steel of a gun is more familiar to her than a frying pan. Take Kara and leave the danger. And then she remembers, Kara’s parents being killed, what they wanted, and how she could never leave it if she wanted.

Because she doesn’t think that she could ever not want to be in the middle of things, boots on the ground, and no matter how skewed Maggie might think her sense of justice is, she knows that she’s making a real difference. Even if Maggie and her will never work out.

They drifted together and when Alex comes to herself, Maggie and her are lounged against each other, silently drinking their beers. If Kara was here, she would call it cuddling. But yeah, it was just sex.

 

_Blockbuster Trade_

_The National City Sharks have announced a trade including the star point guard Wexler, in a three team deal that will give them several draft picks and two rookies. In other news, the Sharks have thrown away their chances at winning a championship for the next decade._

__-  February 3, 2017 National City News Article by Denise Wilkinson_ _

 

Three days later Alex gets a text.

_Its happening friday_

Alex bites her lip and alerts J’onn. On Thursday night, she walks into Maggie’s apartment. On Friday morning she leaves, biting back tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! Thanks so much for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is ready for this to be over.

Maggie likes to think that she doesn’t have any regrets. Really. She walked away from her family without looking back. She left Gotham without any feeling other than relief. Her last relationship, well she regrets that it lasted that long. But that’s it. And so, as she is mock arrested, as the raids begin. They goes well. Easy. They get, well, so many drugs that it takes multiple trucks. Lots of arrests too. Including Lillian whose staring at the cops in badly covered up shock. A call goes to the teams that are in charge of getting Non, and a couple other high players that Alex pointed out. Everything went well. Everyone’s happy.

Maggie isn’t. She knows she should be. But ever since Alex left that morning, with just a kiss, something changed. They had promised to meet in a couple days at a bar a couple streets over. After everything blew over. But that night, it well, they hadn’t exactly had a lot of time before that, but it felt different. Good, great even. But different. And today, she should be celebrating, but she mostly just felt melancholy.

She shouldn’t be feeling it, this frees up a lot of things for Alex, she’ll hopefully be able to get out, and Maggie will be here when she does.

It stayed with her until they got back to the station. Until they loaded people up and started verifying their identities. Until the first one called for a detective’s name and they found out he was a CI. With the Luthor gang.

Then it turned to rage.

 

_“how dumb is it to be fired for someone stealing something from you? i mean sure im a security guard but they had guns!”_

__-  July 26, 2017 tweet by @sharkbro2220__

 

The next two days were full of cataloging everything. The drugs. The people. The fact that Alex had completely played her and gotten her to take out the wrong gang. She had walked into her Captain’s office and it had taken everything in her to not completely break down.

“Captain, I’m sorry.”

He looked up and frowned, “Why?”

“Everything, I was supposed to infiltrate the DEO.”

“And?”

“And I got made and failed my mission.”

He stared and then nodded at her to take a seat. “Sawyer, you’ve done what no cop in National City has been able to do in, what fifty years.” Maggie looked at the desk, “And that’s take down the Luthors.” He spoke before Maggie could get another word in, “Sure, they weren’t your target, but how were you supposed to outmaneuver this Danvers person, without dying? I’m glad that you’re still breathing and that we got the 1000 pounds of heroin and 10 tons of cocaine off the streets. Good job.”

Maggie nodded and exited the office and back to her desk. Everyone seemed to be ignoring that she hadn’t completed her primary directive. She supposed that a drug bust of that size would do a lot to bolster spirits.

It didn’t help that Randall had been twitchy, and decided on the raid long before Maggie thought it should happen. She knew that things were off, she just didn’t realize how off they were. The police had done a sweep of the building that she had lived in, she knew that many DEO members lived there, but besides some kid being in possession of weed, they didn’t get anything. Everyone there had been warned and they found no weapons or any other drugs in anyone’s apartment.

She wasn’t sure if she was angrier at herself or at Alex. Well, she was angrier at Alex. The fact that she had, Maggie wanted to scream, but instead excused herself and left work. The fact that Alex had seduced her to prevent Maggie’s suspicions. Because she had suspicions. She kicked a rock down the street and sighed.

She thought that they had something. She knew that they were both lying about the sex just being casual, but now, she leaned her head against the wall and let a tear drop down her face. Now, it was pointless. God, how did she become such an idiot.

 

_“The late 2010s had a movement of gangs in Midvale, which had long been a turf war between Cadmus and the DEO. In 2017, a successful undercover operation lead to the downfall of the Cadmus gang as almost all of their entire leadership structure was arrested (cementing the weaker position Cadmus had after the arrest and conviction of Lex Luthor in 2014).”_

__-  Excerpt from “National City in the 2010s: Upheaval, Corruption, and Villiany” by Deborah Stein__

 

Lillian Luthor being arrested was frankly amazing. Besides her presence at the warehouse they didn’t have much evidence against her, it looked like she was going to walk free and easy, but an unmarked envelope delivered to the station one morning provided photos, videos, and audio files galore. Basically, everyone that they had arrested would be unwilling to fight their way out of conviction.

It was too convenient. The lab techs had been able to verify that it was unmodified content, and Maggie watched it all went down. There were talks of her getting a medal. Maggie mostly wanted to curl up into a ball.

She wasn’t sure why she showed up at the bar. She fingered the handcuffs in her pocket and stared at the glass in front of her. She sighed and took another sip and looked around.

Alex was staring at her from the corner.

Maggie wasn’t sure what emotions she was feeling. A mix of longing, anger, hope, rage, and sadness. She marched over there and stared at Alex.

“Hi.” Alex said and Maggie shoved her outside and into the alley.

“Hi?” Maggie repeated and Alex winced. “That’s what I get?” Maggie paced in front of a motionless Alex. “Argh! I should arrest you.” She wildly gestured with her hands.

Alex stared. “You should.”

Maggie shook her head, a knot forming in her chest. “Was it real?”

“What?” Alex frowned. “Was what real?”

“Alex.” Maggie pleaded. Alex was here. That had to mean something..

“Oh.” Alex flushed red and rubbed the back of her neck. “That.” The two seconds felt like a millennium. “Yes.”

“Then why?”

“Because.” Alex said. “I needed to protect my family.” Alex stared at her, and said softly, “I’m sorry.”

She turned to leave and Maggie grabbed her arm and spun her back. Alex’s hands went to her waist and Maggie’s hand to Alex’s face. They kissed, and Maggie pressed all the anger, hate, hope, the could have beens, and what ifs, and when they released they stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“Goodbye.” Maggie finally said. “I hope I never see you again.”

Alex’s eyes shifted, but she nodded and then turned around and walked away. Maggie watched her, feeling a hole form in her chest. Something told her that it could never be replaced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end. Please don’t hate me. I originally started to think and plot out this fic back in March, back when Sanvers seemed like it would be solid, and Supergirl was still something I watched, but today, well, that’s changed. Once the news came out that Sanvers would break up, I looked back and tried to reformulate aspects of this story (at this point several chapter were already posted). I did not find a way. Even if I did, I don’t think I would have been satisfied with that plot direction either.  
> This world/universe doesn’t end here, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever get to it. Multi-chap fics are a lot of work, and if I’m not 100% behind a fic, it will probably not happen. I haven’t watched a single episode of season 3 and don’t plan to. I’m sorry for anyone who was hoping for a happy ending, but at least I hope that my breakup is better than what they’re doing in the actual show (though without having watched any episodes I’m only getting half of what’s going on). Perhaps one day I will get inspired to write a sequel, who knows, but that is not in the present plans at the moment. Thanks so much for reading this story, it’s been an adventure for me, and I hope you enjoyed the ride that Opening Salvo was.


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